What Is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening relies on chemical lightening of your teeth to remove stains from the surface enamel. The chemical used is non-toxic and only takes a brief amount of time to administer and brighten your teeth.
Why Do I Need Teeth Whitening?
Whitening primarily serves as a cosmetic treatment for stained or discolored teeth. It is a simple procedure that can result in fresh, whitened teeth in about two hours—the active treatment time is a little over an hour. It is the one of the fastest, least costly ways to get an “instant” brightness to your smile.
How Are Teeth Whitened?
Dr. Doris Giraldo will apply a chemical teeth whitener to your “smile” teeth and leave it in place for a specified amount of time. Prior to this, you and Dr. Giraldo will discuss how “white” you want your teeth to be, which determines how long the whitener stays on your teeth.
How Does Dr. Giraldo’s Whitening Procedure Compare with Other Options?
The whitening process is simple, cost-effective and quick compared to other dental procedures such as the installation of porcelain veneers. Veneers have to be fabricated at a dental laboratory and then fitted over your existing teeth. Veneers will cover up stains, discoloration, chips, fractures, crooked teeth, and other cosmetic issues. Whitening will simply bleach your teeth to a desired color and brightness. Alternatively, over-the-counter whitening agents (e.g., whitening “strips”) are available. However, those are self-applied and their use – and results – are not as precise as a short visit to the office. Dr. Giraldo can also provide you with a take-home teeth whitening tray and gel, including specific directions for use, that will gradually whiten your teeth over a period of time.
Teeth Whitening Using a Laser
Professional in-office teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedure in the world today. Unlike home-use whitening systems that incorporate low-dose bleaching agents, in-office whitening (also known as power bleaching, power whitening, professional whitening or chairside whitening) takes place under carefully monitored conditions at Dr. Giraldo’s office, which allow for the safe, controlled, pain-free use of a relatively high concentration of bleaching gel—yielding results that are visible immediately. Ezlase Diode Laser is the fastest in-office whitening available. In about 20 minutes of treatment time, the Ezlase diode laser can deliver 6 to 12 shades of improvement. A hydrogen peroxide-based whitening gel is applied to your teeth and activated by the laser. Desensitizer gel is also included for continued patient comfort.
Laser Whitening vs. Zoom Whitening
- Shorter treatment time.
- Perfect for sensitive patients—less heating of teeth that can result in post-operative sensitivity.
- Maximizes effectiveness because the laser is synchronized to the whitening gel, which also increases efficiency.
