Brightening your smile is a path to increased confidence and overall well-being. Minor innocuous daily habits such as drinking coffee and wine can leave stains on your teeth and lead to discoloration. Dr. Richard Mark and Dr. Jeffrey Mark of Mark Family Dental will guide you in choosing the best treatment option when your goal is teeth whitening in Salem, OR.
Types of teeth whitening
There are two main types of treatments for whitening teeth that you can choose from. These consist of an in-office procedure or an at-home whitening kit.
In-office whitening
Going to the dentist's office for a procedure geared at whitening your teeth will yield faster and more robust results. The in-office procedure takes about an hour and is completely pain-free. Your procedure will begin by assessing the shade of your current teeth and making a measurement of it. This will act as a benchmark by which to compare the shade improvement after your whitening procedure.
Next, your teeth will be polished and a device will be placed in your mouth to retract your cheeks. This helps to expose all the teeth that will undergo whitening, which generally consists of all the teeth that are visible when you smile. Then a strong gel made with hydrogen peroxide is applied to your teeth. In order to protect your gums from burns from this powerful whitening agent, a hardening resin or liquid rubber dam is applied over the gel. This gel will be left on your teeth for about an hour. These layers are then removed from your teeth, your teeth cleaned and rinsed thoroughly, and you will leave our office with a brand new smile.
If you are not satisfied with the amount of whitening that has been achieved during this visit, an additional session of in-office teeth whitening at our Salem, OR clinic is recommended.
Take-home whitening kits
Take-home kits may be a better option for you depending on your schedule. Take-home kits will require more work on your part and may take weeks for the results to appear. Custom-made trays will first be manufactured from molds of both your upper and lower teeth. This will ensure an exact fit of the contours of your teeth.
When the trays are finished, your dentist will teach you how to effectively use them. He will explain the proper way to apply the whitening gel that you will be provided with to your custom trays and fit them on your teeth. Typically, you will be instructed to leave them on for about an hour every night. A follow-up visit to your dentist will be required after about two weeks of your nightly at-home treatments to assess the results.
Schedule consultation for teeth whitening in Salem, OR with Dr. Mark of Mark Family Dental by calling 816-461-3660.