Did you know that here at Dr. Marea White’s dental office we offer free whitening to new patients? I bet you can think of a few reasons why you would love to have a whiter smile!

The Process of Teeth Whitening

First of all, I want to tell you a little about how we do teeth whitening in our office.

If you have periodontal disease, bonding, or composites, you may not qualify. If you don’t have any of those dental health issues, you are probably a great candidate for our free teeth whitening!

When you come in for your appointment, we can take impressions of your teeth that very same day. After 2-3 days, we will have your whitening trays ready for you.

We will have you come back into the dental office to pick them up and so we can show you how to properly use them and make sure they fit your teeth.

Whitening trays work with a whitening solution that you put into the tray. We will show you how much solution to put in them and where. For instance, if you have crowns on some teeth, it would be a waste to put solution there because it only affects real teeth.

We will give you a color guide so that you can see what shade your teeth are currently and decide where you want them to be. You’ll see firsthand the changes and improvements to your smile!

Once you have all the tools, you can get started. The best part about our whitening trays is that you only need to have them on for 3 minutes a day! Everyone has 3 minutes! On average, people use the trays for only 2 weeks.

When should you use the teeth whitening trays?

Ideally, we want you to floss and brush your teeth right before whitening. That way, the solution won’t be working on plaque, it will be working on your teeth!

After they sit for 3 minutes, you can take them out. Then, make sure not to eat or drink anything – especially things like coffee or wine – for an hour. During the 3 minutes that the solution is on your teeth, your teeth are absorbing it. It takes an hour for the process to be complete, so make sure not to disturb it.

Smoking will disturb the process as well, so make sure not to smoke within the first hour after whitening.

The whitening solution has a shelf-life of 18 months to 2 years. When you are ready for a touch-up (probably in about a year) your solution should still be working great. We recommend doing your touch-ups right after your dental cleaning appointment. That way, any built-up plaque will be removed and not standing in the way of your whitening solution.

How many days should you use teeth whitening trays?

As I mentioned, most people use the teeth whitening trays for about 2 weeks. It really depends on how white you want your teeth to be and what color they are when you start. Keep in mind that with summer coming, your tan will make your teeth shine even brighter!

When you’re just touching them up, you will probably only need to use the trays for 2-3 days before you get the look that you want.

Right now is the perfect time for many people to start whitening with summer coming. If you are about to graduate and need pictures done, white teeth will make your smile shine!

Getting married? Make your teeth as white as your dress in just a couple weeks!

What are you waiting for?

If you have been meaning to come in for your first appointment, now is the perfect time! Get a full dental cleaning and a free whitening kit to start your summer off right!

~Dr. Marea White