With the teeth whitening industry surpassing $300M per year, it’s obvious that nothing is more desired than a clean and confident smile.
Regardless of all the new products and fads, professional bleaching, using high-quality professional strength gel and professionally made trays, is still the most popular and the most successful method of whitening teeth. No method of bleaching provides better results than bleaching, and it’s the method that provides the most lasting results (short of permanent veneers).
Professional strength home whitening has helped millions of people boost their self confidence by giving them a attractive set of teeth to show whenever they smile.
Though nearly everyone is interested in maintaining a white and beautiful smile, bleaching is not ideal for everyone. For a person with extremely sensitive teeth, a high level of man-made tooth surfaces, or in need of basic dental maintenance, it is best to let their regular dentist decide if their teeth are healthy enough for bleaching and to recommend the best bleaching process a patient should undergo for optimal comfort and highest result.
With careful use, almost every client can achieve results from whitening using a high quality professional-level bleach such as the 20% and 33% carbamide peroxide gel solutions provided by Shine:
1. Anyone with gum problems should take extra care to keep the whitening gel from touching any part of their gums. In fact a person with moderate to advanced gum disease should not be getting their teeth bleached at all. However, remember that a good set of custom made trays, or careful application with the tiny brush on a teeth whitening pen can help to keep gel safely away from the gums. Also remember that 50% of the whitening action happens in the first 15 minutes of treatment, so for anyone who is concerned, there is no need to risk sensitivity by wearing whitening trays for more than 10-15 minutes at a time.
2. The patient should wipe any excess gel that leaks out of the tray with a tissue If any part of the gums turn “white” from exposure to gel when the trays are removed, there is no reason for concern and the gums will return to their normal pink color in a few minutes. However, the white appearance is a sign that too much gel has been applied to the tray, and the client should use a less gel in future applications.
3. Most dental insurance plans don’t cover teeth whitening procedures. However, at $99 for a full custom whitening kit – or $20 for a whitening pen – patients are delighted to gain these professional products at a fraction of the cost a dental office would charge.
4. Any man-made tooth material will not be further whitened by the application of bleach. This is most important to remember when a client has tooth-colored fillings on the front surface of teeth. While they can and should maintain the color of their teeth post filling, clients should take care to emphasize the spaces between teeth most fully, where darkening happens first, and to avoid making the teeth whiter than the embedded fillings.
5. Bleaching toothpastes are a nice complement to a teeth whitening regimen and they can remove light stains and improve the appearance of teeth – but toothpaste alone does not dramatically or permanently change the color of teeth.
6. Teeth that are yellow or gray due to antibiotics will be more limited in their improvement results.
7. Patients should have any cavities filled before whitening.
8. Shine’s professional bleaching kits, which are identical to a dentist’s whitening kit, contain a much stronger peroxide than the products available over-the-counter, which typically contain peroxide in only a 2-4% strength. This means that a professional kit will be far more effective than what your clients can get on their own.
9. Regular dental cleaning is still imperative to the continued look and health of your smile. Whitening does not take the place of a professional cleaning.
10. For clients who are pregnant – no study has ever indicated a risk of danger to mother or child of carbamide peroxide teeth whitening (although extra care should be taken to be sure the gel is never worn during naps or accidentally ingested). However, for maximum caution, you should advise any patient who is expecting to follow their doctor’s advice before using any teeth whitening gel.
Shine Teeth Whitening offers professional teeth whitening services for medical spas, laser centers and cosmetic medical offices. Shine gives physicians the ability to provide custom teeth whitening services and products like teeth whitening kits and pens.