Thomas R. Miller, D.D.S.

Serving Albany, Schenectady, Troy & Saratoga Springs, New York

Your Tooth Whitening Options

There are basically 3 potentially effective ways to achieve tooth whitening:

Have it professionally done by your cosmetic dentist
Do it at home as a joint effort with your dentist
Manage it at home by yourself with an over-the-counter product

The basic principle

Our teeth whiten from being in contact with the tooth whitening substance. The longer they’re in contact with it, the more quickly they can whiten.

What’s in a tooth?

Our teeth have two layers:

Dentin, the inside layer
Enamel, the outside layer

As we eat, drink, and possibly smoke over the years, the substances we thus put in our mouths build up on the enamel. They form a third layer known as a pellicle film.

We can remove some of it by brushing and flossing. Toothpaste is a little abrasive and scrubs gently at the surfaces of our teeth. Professional cleaning will remove even more of it.

But enamel is slightly porous. So as time goes by, the staining chemicals in the pellicle film can work their way right into the enamel, changing its color.

How tooth whiteners work

Most tooth whiteners use either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide to set off a chemical reaction with the staining chemicals in our tooth enamel. Oxygen molecules are formed, which penetrate the enamel, breaking up those stains and leaving you with a whiter, brighter smile.

Professional tooth whitening

There are several advantages to having this procedure professionally done at your dentist’s office.

Before whitening starts, your dentist can make sure your teeth are clean and your gums healthy
The concentration of carbamide or hydrogen peroxide can be customized for you and will usually be stronger than what is in over-the-counter tooth whiteners (usually 15% to 35%)
Your gums will be isolated with a protective gel
A high intensity laser light is often used to speed up the bleaching process
Sessions usually last about an hour, after which your teeth will be 5 or 6 shades whiter
You can return for repeat treatment(s)

Dr. Miller uses the laser light in combination with a highly concentrated bleaching agent. Just one treatment will make your teeth much whiter. You can also have just one or two teeth treated, if the discoloration is not on all your teeth.

In partnership with your dentist

The whitening agent used in at-home systems is less concentrated than what’s used in dental offices (10% to 20%).

Your cosmetic dentist will make a mold of your mouth and from that, have soft mouth trays made
You can take the trays home and to use them, squeeze a thin line of whitening gel into them and wear them for about 2 hours each day
After 1 to 2 weeks, or sometimes as long as a month, your teeth can be perhaps 12 to 15 shades whiter

If you choose this option, Dr. Miller will use a potent bleaching gel containing carbamide peroxide and make custom-fitted mouth trays for you. He’ll advise you as to exactly how long to wear the trays each day, and how often to check in with him.

If you feel any increased tooth sensitivity, Dr. Miller can advise and help you mitigate it, perhaps prescribing fluoride.

Doing it at home

Over-the-counter whitening products also use carbamide or hydrogen peroxide. The concentration varies between products, but will be milder than professional strength.

Whitening toothpastes have limited effectiveness, because whitening occurs while the teeth are in contact with the bleaching agent. When you’ve used a whitening toothpaste, you’ll be rinsing most of it out afterwards, and your natural mouth moisture will drain off what remains.
Whitening toothpastes work only on surface stains, not on deeper stains within the enamel.
Some products don’t list the concentration of their bleaching agent on the packaging.
If there’s a tray as part of the product, it may not fit your teeth very well, leaving parts of your enamel surfaces out of contact with the whitening gel. This would lead to uneven results. It could also cause gum irritation.
If you experience increased tooth sensitivity during or after whitening treatments, do the treatments less frequently.

Overall dental health

Depending on your specific dental conditions, it could be that tooth whitening is not the best option for you right away. Dr. Miller can advise you as to other options and perhaps higher priorities, after he’s examined your teeth.

If tooth whitening is your next step, Dr. Miller will help you determine what level of teeth whitening will help you achieve a perfect smile.

For your amazing Albany smile makeover, call or email the office of Thomas R. Miller, DDS today.