Teeth whitening is a process that uses hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to penetrate your teeth and break down stains. It will even lighten the natural pigmentation of your teeth.
Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. And a smile that is brightened with professional teeth whitening will make a positive lasting impression. At Dentistry by Brooksher in Baton Rouge, we can help you achieve a more youthful-looking smile that has lasting sparkle.
Advantages of Teeth Whitening from a Dentist
Many over-the-counter and online products claim to be effective for whitening your teeth at home. So why choose professional whitening?
- Personalized care – If you whiten your teeth without the supervision of a dentist, the results are unpredictable. Depending on the cause of the stains in your teeth, bleaching gel can sometimes even make them worse. Dr. Brooksher will examine your teeth and determine if teeth whitening or an alternative cosmetic treatment will give you a healthy bright smile.
- Limitations of over-the-counter and online products
- Whitening toothpaste – Some types of whitening toothpaste are abrasive and can damage your tooth enamel. If the toothpaste helps at all, the results will be limited—only surface stains will be removed.
- Whitening strips – The professional-strength bleaching gel that Dr. Brooksher uses is several times stronger than whitening strips.
- Online products – For many online teeth whitening products, it’s difficult to determine the contents, safety, and effectiveness of the bleaching gel.
- Predictable results – Dr. Brooksher uses customized bleaching trays and professional teeth whitening products to break down deeply embedded stains in your teeth. The treatment will be comfortable. And the results are long lasting and so effective that even the natural pigmentation of your teeth will be lightened.
The before-and-after photos below show how Dr. Brooksher improved the appearance of a patient’s short, left lateral incisor and used teeth whitening to dramatically brighten her entire smile and facial appearance.
Treatment Options
Dr. Brooksher offers both in-office and take-home teeth whitening.
In-office
KöR Whitening Deep Bleaching™ is one of the most effective treatments for dissolving stubborn stains embedded in teeth. Although it is powerful enough to even lighten tetracycline stains in teeth, porcelain veneers are the most effective way to conceal the stains. The KöR whitening process is as follows:
- You’ll receive custom beaching trays and professional-strength gel to whiten your teeth at home for two weeks. You’ll notice your teeth getting brighter.
- Your at-home whitening will be followed by in-office treatment that takes about an hour. During the appointment Dr. Brooskher will apply KöR bleaching gel to your teeth to give the whitening process a boost.
- You will continue at-home treatment as directed by Dr. Brooksher for an amazing, brilliantly white smile.
Take-home
Dr. Brooksher will take digital impressions of your teeth and provide you with custom bleaching trays and Opalescence® whitening gel. Custom trays protect your gums from bleaching gel and ensure the gel is kept in contact with your teeth for maximum penetration.
- Each night, you put a small amount of bleaching gel in the trays.
- Put the trays on your teeth, and wear them for the amount of time specified.
- After two weeks, your smile will be bright.
- If you want your teeth even whiter, you can continue treatment.
Is Teeth Whitening Right for You?
If you’re interested in a sparkling smile, schedule an appointment for an exam. Dr. Brooksher will let you know if this treatment is right for you. Call us or request an appointment online.
