Your Ontario Invisalign® Provider
At our Pembroke and Deep River dental clinics, we offer teeth whitening with both take-home and in-office options to our patients to help them brighten their smiles.
What is Professional Teeth Whitening?
Professional teeth whitening is a way to remove stains and lighten the colour of your teeth.
As you age, your teeth become more vulnerable to staining from food and other substances. Particles are attracted to your tooth's enamel naturally and products like tobacco, tea, coffee and berries have a reputation for staining teeth.
The bleaching agents used during teeth whitening treatments are designed to reverse the effects of aging and staining on your teeth, lightening their colour in the process.
How Teeth Whitening Works
The teeth whitening process uses peroxide-based bleaching agents. Oxygen interacts with your tooth enamel as the active ingredient breaks down, causing your teeth to whiten.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
In-office teeth whitening takes about two hours at our dental clinics. First, a barrier is applied around your gums to protect them from harm. After that, our dentists will apply a thin layer of gel to each of your teeth and then chemically activate it. We repeat this process a few times for each of your teeth until the desired shade of white has been achieved.
Take-Home Teeth Whitening
At our two Wellspring Dental dental clinics, we offer at-home whitening options so that you can whiten your teeth in the comfort and convenience of your home. Custom whitening trays are created specifically for your smile. Your dentist should also provide you with at-home instructions to follow during your course of treatment.
Teeth Whitening FAQs
Read the answers to our most frequently asked questions about teeth whitening at our two Wellspring Dental clinics.
- How long do the effects of teeth whitening last?
Teeth whitening isn't a permanent solution to whiten your smile.
If you continue to expose your teeth to substances which cause staining, you will likely start to see the newfound whiteness of your teeth begin to fade within a few months.
If you avoid these foods and drinks after your teeth whitening treatment, you may just need a touch-up after a year or so.
- Does teeth whitening make teeth more sensitive?
Sensitivity is a short-term side effect of teeth whitening. For most patients, it fades away within a few days after a whitening session.
To reduce your discomfort, we suggest that you use anti-sensitivity toothpaste before teeth whitening treatment and for about two weeks following your treatment.
- Do teeth whitening products work on all stains?
Yellow and brown-coloured stains respond the best to teeth whitening treatments.
Grey, blue and purple-coloured stains tend not to respond to whitening. For teeth with these types of stains, patients may be better candidates for cosmetic treatments such as veneers or dental crowns.
- Does teeth whitening work on dental restorations?
No, it does not. Teeth whitening only works on natural teeth. This treatment does not work on existing dental restorations like crowns or veneers.
If veneers or crowns are part of your treatment plan, teeth whitening should take place before you receive your dental restorations.
- Will teeth whitening damage my tooth enamel?
If used under the supervision of a qualified dentist, it is unlikely that teeth whitening will damage your dental enamel.
Always consult with your dentist to ensure that you are using any teeth whitening products safely.
- Does insurance cover the cost of teeth whitening?
Dental insurance does not usually cover the cost of teeth whitening because it is a purely cosmetic procedure with no health benefits for your teeth.