If your teeth are stained or discolored, you may feel self-conscious about how you look when you laugh and smile, or even when you eat and speak around others. But with teeth whitening, you can feel confident behind your smile. Our team of dentists can whiten your teeth and reverse years of stains. If you are interested in teeth whitening in Washington, DC, call our team to schedule your visit today!
How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
Our team offers both in-office teeth whitening and a take-home whitening system. Both treatments use peroxide to whiten your smile. The main difference is that in-office teeth whitening is performed by one of our dentists, and uses a UV light to activate the whitener for faster results.
Take-home whitening, on the other hand, uses a set of custom-built whitening trays. It takes a few weeks to whiten your teeth, but it’s more convenient allowing you to whiten from the comfort of home. The end results will be just as good as in-office whitening, too.
The In-Office Teeth Whitening Process
In-office whitening from one of our dentists delivers incredible results in just one visit. It’s ideal if you have an upcoming event like a wedding or important business meeting. Often, it’s possible to brighten your smile by up to 5-10 shades in one whitening appointment at our office.
To begin the process, your dentist will clean your teeth, then protect your gums, cheeks, lips, and tongue from the whitener. Then, the whitener will be applied to your teeth and activated with a UV light, boosting its potency. After this, the whitener is rinsed away. This process is repeated until your smile reaches the desired level of brightness. Most people need only one appointment, though some with severe staining may need to come back for a follow-up treatment.
What To Expect From Take-Home Whitening
Take-home whitening lets you brighten your smile from home. To get started, you’ll come to Washington Metro Dental for impressions to be taken of your teeth. These impressions are sent to a dental lab, where a skilled technician will make you a set of whitening trays. Your trays are reusable and will fit over your teeth perfectly to ensure even whitening results. It will take about 2-3 weeks for your trays to be built.
Then, you’ll come back to our office, pick up your trays and whitening products, and begin your whitening treatment at home. Most patients need to whiten their teeth for about an hour per day for 2-3 weeks for the best results, but the instructions given to you by your dentist may differ.
Will Teeth Whitening Make My Teeth Sensitive?
Most patients will experience at least a little bit of whitening-induced sensitivity after their procedure. The best way to recover from this is to follow the instructions provided to you by your dentist.
You should continue to brush and floss regularly to keep your teeth clean and healthy. Using an anti-sensitivity toothpaste like Sensodyne can be helpful. You may also want to avoid really hot or cold foods and drinks for a few days since these tend to worsen sensitivity.
Zoom! Whitening Post-Op Instructions:
Click to Download Post-Op Instructions Document
The next 48 hours are important in enhancing and maximizing your whitening results for a long-lasting, bright, and healthy smile.
Spotting: Color Spotting on the teeth may occur after Zoom In-Office Whitening due to temporary dehydration of the teeth. This should diminish within a few days after treatment. The whitening process will continue for 48 hours after treatment.
Sensitivity: During the first 24 hours after whitening treatment, some patients can experience some tooth sensitivity or pain. This is normal and is usually mild, but it can be worse in susceptible individuals. Normally, tooth sensitivity or pain following a treatment subsides within 24 hours, but in rare cases can persist for longer periods of time. You may wish to take an over-the-counter pain reliever (one you would use for a headache). Some patients experience sensitivity such as “zingers” or thermal sensitivity 12 to 24 hours after Zoom! whitening. Place the Relief ACP gel (in your take-home bag) on the problem area to help reduce symptoms of sensitivity. Once you receive your customized take-home trays, you can place a small amount of gel in each tooth of your whitening trays and wear the tray for 30-60 minutes. This will help calm the teeth down during sensitive episodes. Brushing your teeth with sensitive toothpaste, such as Sensodyne, or Fluoridex Daily Defense Sensitivity Relief toothpaste for the weeks following the procedure is strongly recommended. Now that your teeth are significantly whiter, there are a few guidelines to help maintain the look of your new smile. The teeth have a protective layer called the protein pellicle. This layer contains the surface dental stains and is removed during Zoom whitening treatments. It takes 24-48 hours for the barrier to fully develop again.
For the next 48 hours post-treatment, we recommend avoiding dark staining substances, such as:
- Red wine, dark sodas (such as Coca-Cola), coffee and tea
- Berries such as cherries, blueberries, strawberries, dark grapes
- Tobacco products
- Red sauces, mustard or ketchup, soy sauce, salsa and other red sauces
- If it will stain your clothes, it will eventually stain your teeth
- Colored lipstick
- Colored mouthwash including PreviDent Fluoride Rinse
- If your daily homecare involves the use of PerioRx or any Chlorhexidine, please wait 48 hours before continuing the usage of this product.
Additional ways to maintain your smile:
- Avoid staining-related habits.
- Use an automated toothbrush like Philips Sonicare.
- Regular professional dental hygiene care to maintain oral health, and keep staining to a minimum. Use whitening trays for touch-ups as recommended by our dentists.
- Practice good oral hygiene by tooth brushing, flossing, and tongue cleaning. We will assist you in selecting the products to maintain not only a white smile but a healthy one as well!
Take home Whitening Trays for touch-ups -3 days after Treatment: If your teeth are not too sensitive, try bleaching a few more times with the take home products during the first three to five days after your office visit to maximize your results and attain the whitest shade possible. Store any remaining whitening gel in a cool dry place for later use. Please make sure the custom tray is completely dry. Place a small amount of gel on each of the teeth in the custom tray. Use caution not to overload the tray. Insert the tray over the teeth and gently wipe away any excess gel. Do not leave any gel on the gums because this will irritate your gums. Wear the bleaching trays with the gel for 1 hour. If sensitivity is uncomfortable, stop and reduce the time and/or frequency of treatment. If too uncomfortable, stop altogether.
Confidently Brighten Your Smile
Are you ready for a whiter smile? Call our team today to take the first step towards a noticeably brighter smile