In-Office Teeth Whitening – Common Procedures to Expect

This procedure is also known as power whitening. This is so because in-office bleaching methods have more bleaching concentration than that which is offered over the counter thereby producing faster results. In-office tooth bleaching is also the safest. Unlike tooth whitening done at home, in-office whitening is conducted and monitored by a professional practitioner. Risks therefore, no matter how low and the aftereffects no matter how mild is attended too eliminating discomfort. 

Not everyone is a good candidate for in-office teeth whitening. People with tooth and gums hypersensitivity may undergo a different regimen or may be given home treatment kits for the patient to use though due to the patients hypersensitivity, the treatments and dosages are mild and will therefore take a longer period of time. Patients that have staining that are yet intractable may not be good candidates as there are stains that are resistant to bleaches. For one, bleaching may only highlight the resistant stained tooth as the other teeth are becoming whiter. Tooth transparency is not also a good candidate for in-office treatment. The front teeth most especially are very thin and gets more and more transparent with age. For this a different procedure may be taken.

Aside from those mentioned above, in-office whitening could be conducted with basically the same procedure. The teeth will be prepped by cleaning away the debris, dirt and plaque that have accumulated in-between and on the teeth. After that, a dental exam is conducted to check for cracks, tooth decay and gum problems. Photographs will then be taken which will be used as a benchmark when assessing the whitening progress. The shade of your teeth will also be measured thru the Vitapan shade guide to arrive at a correct shade that your teeth should have. The teeth are not expected to shade lighter than its natural cast.  

Following that, a retractor will be placed inside the mouth to expose the teeth in the zone visible when you smile. A protective rubber dam is them placed in the gum to protect it from irritation when the bleaching gel is applied. The bleaching gel is then applied to the teeth and then rinsed off after at least 15 minutes after which another application of the bleaching gel will be applied and kept in the mouth for approximately the same period of time. Additional application of fresh bleaching gel could be opted depending on the development of the treatment and how the teeth have whitened. The gel is then rinsed off or suctioned and the cheek retractor is removed.

Immediately afterwards, the teeth will be several points lighter than its natural color. This is to be expected as a result partly of teeth dehydration. The real color will emerge though after a few days. 

When the desired results are not achieved with the session, a follow up treatment will be recommended by the dentist to be scheduled at a future date. Usually though, a home bleaching kit will be provided. 
