Our Dental Blog

Can I Brighten My Smile From My House?

July 13, 2021
teeth whitening care

When you think about at-home teeth whitening, you probably imagine those whitening strips or maybe toothpaste with peroxide ingredients. However, your Kansas City, MO, dentist can offer an option you can use from home that promises significantly brighter teeth, and results that last for many months to come!

Your Initial Office Visit

The process starts with an initial office visit. Basically, we want to talk to you about your hopes and goals for your smile. We also want to perform a detailed exam to assess the cause and severity of your discoloration, so we can choose the right course of treatment to brighten teeth and correct any oral health concerns we may discover during your visit. For many with serious discoloration, or concerns about tooth sensitivity, we opt for our at-home whitening procedure. The process starts with detailed impressions being taken of your smile, which enables us to design a custom set of trays. You will then be sent home with these trays, along with a powerful bleaching gel.

Treatment at Home

At home, you will fill the trays with gel and wear them for between a half hour and 45 minutes on average. The trays help spread the gel evenly and prevent saliva from diluting the gel. Over the course of a week to ten days, depending on the extent of your discoloration, the trays will help brighten teeth by several shades. The trays and any leftover gel will then be yours to keep for touch-ups down the road, keeping your smile bright. If you happen to have permanent teeth stains, then we may suggest masking them with bonding or veneers!

Keeping Those Teeth Shining

To help keep teeth bright, you should also practice good oral hygiene. Brushing and flossing your teeth daily removes trapped particles and limits the severity of plaque buildup, which in turn limits discoloration. A cleaning every six months then means we can remove all plaque and tartar and polish the teeth, keeping them bright. We also suggest drinking more water and cutting back on beverages with dark pigments, such as soda, tea, red wine, and coffee. A healthy diet that involves fewer sugary and starchy foods also helps. If you would like to learn more about addressing discoloration or improving oral health, then contact our team today. We would love to help you obtain a stunning smile in 2021, so you can continue to smile with pride!

Do You Have Questions About Whitening Teeth?

We would like to make sure you can obtain a smile that shines and fills you with confidence. To learn more about how target and remove unsightly teeth stains, then schedule a consultation by calling Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, MO, today at 816-427-4018.