Have you started feeling self-conscious about yellowing or stained teeth?
Coffee, tea, red wine, certain medications, and the natural aging process can all leave teeth looking dull or discolored. Fortunately, several options exist to help you get back a bright, white smile that you feel good about showing off.
Teeth whitening offers a fast and affordable way to enhance your smile, and it ranks among the most requested cosmetic dentistry services here at Smile Architects.
At-Home Teeth Whitening
Every at-home whitening product relies on some concentration of peroxide, and the real difference between drugstore versions and professional kits comes down to how much peroxide each one contains.
Over-the-counter kits are formulated with a lower peroxide concentration and extra ingredients meant to protect your gums and other soft tissue from irritation. Because the concentration is kept low, these kits typically cannot break through stubborn stains like those left behind by coffee or smoking. Professional kits obtained through your dentist use a stronger peroxide concentration, which can produce quicker and more noticeable results.
In addition, whitening kits supervised by your dentist come with trays custom fitted to your mouth. A properly fitted tray holds the whitening gel firmly against your tooth surfaces, which helps the treatment work as effectively as possible. Generic, one-size-fits-all trays from store shelves cannot match that fit, so they tend to work less well and can even irritate sensitive gum tissue.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
Many patients choose Zoom! Teeth Whitening because it can brighten a smile in a single visit. This in-office treatment can lift discoloration caused by age, coffee, tea, red wine, or tobacco use, and it typically takes an hour or less to complete.
During the appointment, your dentist or dental hygienist first places a protective barrier over your gums, lips, and other soft tissue. A gel containing hydrogen peroxide is then applied to the teeth, and the Zoom! Advanced Power Chairside Lamp activates that gel to help lift stains and discoloration. How long the treatment takes can vary depending on the level of whitening you would like to achieve.
In many cases, Zoom! Teeth Whitening can brighten teeth by six to ten shades in as little as 45 minutes.
KöR Teeth Whitening for the Most Stubborn Stains
The KöR Whitening Deep Bleaching™ System takes a different approach, pairing in-office treatment with at-home follow-up care to help you work toward a noticeably brighter smile.
This system can be so effective because it targets the three main causes behind tooth discoloration:
- Surface stains: Discoloration that sits on the outer enamel and can typically be lifted with professional or over-the-counter whitening treatments.
- Internal discoloration: Staining that develops beneath the tooth’s surface, often the result of an injury or excessive fluoride intake during childhood.
- Tetracycline staining: A type of internal staining linked to tetracycline, an antibiotic widely used before 1975 that could discolor developing teeth when taken during pregnancy or while nursing.
Once your teeth have been treated with KöR Whitening, the results can last for a long time as long as you follow a few simple post-treatment guidelines, such as avoiding smoking and limiting foods and drinks known to cause staining.
This treatment may not be the right fit if you have extremely sensitive teeth or periodontal disease. Your dentist can help determine whether KöR Teeth Whitening is a good option for you.
Smile Architects Offers Teeth Whitening Services to Fit Your Needs
Whatever your cosmetic dentistry goals, The Smile Architects in Huntersville can help. In addition to teeth whitening, we offer porcelain veneers, cosmetic bonding, Invisalign, microabrasion, and gum contouring.
Our team also provides general and restorative dentistry, including same-day restorations using in-office CEREC technology. Call us today to schedule an appointment at 704-875-1621, or reach out to us online.