The advantage of having your teeth whitened in the dental office is that this approach is fast and produces immediate improvement. Typically, your teeth can be whitened by several shades within 45 minutes, dramatically improving your appearance in the shortest possible time. Tooth shade charts are used during the consultation stage of treatment to establish your current shading and determine your whitening goal. In-office whitening is unique in this respect, as your dentist has more control over achieving your specific teeth whitening goals.
During your teeth whitening procedure, you are made comfortable while your teeth are prepared. Your dentist places a guard in your mouth to protect the lips and gums from a whitening gel that is applied to the teeth.
In some types of in-office whitening, application of the whitening gel occurs in three sessions over the course of the visit. A special lamp is used to activate the whitening gel and speed up the whitening process. Once the gel is activated, it remains on the teeth for 15-20 minutes until the next application.
Disadvantages of in-office teeth whitening include cost and greater incidence of temporary tooth sensitivity. Since in-office, one-time regimens use potent whitening agents, there’s more potential for temporary sensitivity.
In-Office Tooth Whitening
