How Long Does Professional Teeth Whitening Last?
Learn how to maximize the impact of your teeth whitening treatment.
You would be hard pressed these days to find someone who truly doesn’t care about the color of their teeth. The desire for that fresh, beautiful, youthful Hollywood-white smile affects us all, men and women, young and old. A plethora of over-the-counter whitening products testifies to this fact.
If you have been struggling to not only make your teeth whiter using these products, but also keep them whiter, you may be wondering if you should try professional whitening for a better result.
The answer is YES!
Professional teeth whitening absolutely does provide a better, longer-lasting improvement in tooth color. Plus, it’s actually safer than using many kinds of at-home whitening gels, strips, and trays.
How Professional Whitening Works
Professional teeth whitening treatments are able to deliver better results with less risk of side effects such as sensitivity for two reasons:
- They use stronger whitening compounds that are better able to bleach away stains beneath the surface of tooth enamel. Some treatments include a special light that helps activate the compounds for even more whitening power.
- Treatments are always administered by a trained dental professional who can adjust the treatment time to suit your precise needs. This allows you to achieve a balance between maximizing the whitening effect and minimizing the risk of sensitivity due to overexposure.
Factors Affecting Your Results
Professional teeth whitening can whiten teeth several shades, but the exact amount of improvement you will see is impossible to predict with complete accuracy. Instead, your result will depend upon the interplay of multiple different factors including:
- How yellow your teeth are now
- Type of staining
- How long it has been since your last dental cleaning
Additionally, it is important to remember that professional teeth whitening treatments only work on natural tooth enamel. Any restorations that you may have, such as white fillings, crowns, bridges, or veneers, will not change color and may need to be replaced in order to give you a uniform color for your smile.
How Long Your Teeth Will Stay White
Ultimately, this depends on how well you take care of your teeth. Some patients can keep their teeth looking brighter for years after treatment, while others will need to return more frequently for re-treatment.
The best way to make your whitening treatment last is to avoid all the things that made your teeth become discolored in the first place, such as cigarettes, coffee, tea, red wine, and dark sodas. Brushing regularly with a whitening toothpaste will also help keep your smile bright.
If you would like to learn more about professional teeth whitening, please contact California Dental Group now.
