What are my whitening options?
You can choose to have your tooth whitening process performed in-office, which takes a little over an hour, or you may use our custom, take-home whitening kits to whiten your teeth more gradually on your own time. You could do this while you sleep or during the day.
How does the whitening process work?
In our office, a special gel that contains a bleaching agent is applied to your teeth, much the same way nail polish is applied to your nails. We shine a high-intensity light on the gel to speed up the activation and whitening processes.
In your home, you use the same professional-strength bleaching gel as in the office, but you apply it to the inside of a custom-made mouth tray, and wear the tray nightly, or at any convenient time during the day.
What product is used to whiten my teeth?
At Krasowski Dental, we use the BriteSmile whitening system.
How long does it take to see results?
The exact amount of time required to whiten teeth depends greatly on your pre-whitening color.
Most of our patients experience dramatic results in about an hour with our in-office treatment. You may need another visit or two to obtain the exact results you desire.
If you chose our at-home whitening system, you can expect to see results after about two weeks, but everybody responds differently to tooth whitening. You might need to wear the trays for anywhere between four and eight weeks to achieve maximum whitening results.
Are there side-effects associated with tooth-whitening?
The bleaching gel used for whitening, and the procedure itself, are very safe and regularly performed in the dental industry.
During the in-office procedure, your gums and mouth are completely protected from the bleach, and it is only applied to your teeth. In your home, since you apply the bleach to the inside of a tooth-tray, the rest of your mouth is protected from the product.
After whitening, your teeth may be temporarily sensitive to hot or cold foods, but you should expect to experience no other side effects.
The bleach used for whitening doesn’t harm your gums, or hurt your existing tooth-enamel in any way.
Which tooth-whitening option is best?
Both teeth-whitening options provide excellent results. The method of whitening you choose depends greatly on your needs.
In-office whitening may be best if:
- You have a special event coming up and need whitening performed quickly
- Your teeth are extremely stained and may not respond to bleaching without light-activation
- You do not want to wear tooth trays for as long as four to eight weeks
- You tend to be forgetful and may only sometimes wear a mouth tray if you took a bleaching kit home
At-home whitening could be a good option for you if:
- You feel comfortable using the trays on yourself
- You’d rather spend less money and wait a little longer to see results
- You know you won’t forget to wear your tooth-tray
How long will my teeth stay white?
That depends on your dietary and dental hygiene habits. But most of our patients are still highly satisfied with their whitening results three to seven years after the procedure. Once you have undergone teeth-whitening, future touch-up applications usually produce results more quickly than the initial application.
If you’d like to learn more about the tooth whitening options available at Krasowski Dental in Wausau, Wisconsin, please read our Tooth Whitening Services page. To schedule your initial consultation and begin the exciting whitening process, please contact us today if you are in the Rhinelander, Wausau, or Stevens Point, Wisconsin area.