Teeth Whitening
Brightening Your Smile Safely
Brighten your smile safely with professional treatments that remove deep stains more effectively than store-bought kits. Choose between fast in-office results or custom at-home kits.
A sparkling white smile is a common desire, and teeth whitening is a popular, non-invasive cosmetic dental treatment to achieve just that. There are several safe and effective teeth whitening options that can lighten your teeth by several shades, helping to remove years of stains and boosting your confidence.
What to expect
In-Office Teeth Whitening (Professional Bleaching)
This method delivers the fastest results. We use a high-concentration bleaching gel (usually containing hydrogen peroxide) applied to the teeth while protecting your gums and other tissues. The procedure typically takes about 1 to 2 hours in our office. Often, a special light or laser is shone on the gel-coated teeth to activate or accelerate the whitening process, though some gels are chemically activated and don’t require light. Patients can see a noticeable difference in the color of their teeth by the end of the appointment – often shades whiter. In-office whitening is ideal if you want immediate results, for example, if you have a special event coming up.
When you come for a whitening appointment, we first assess the current shade of your teeth and perhaps take a “before” photo or note to compare later. We then isolate your teeth – this involves placing a protective barrier on your gums (a rubbery coating or a gel that hardens to shield the gumline) and using cheek retractors to keep lips and cheeks away from your teeth.
We also cover your lips and give you eye protection (especially if using a UV light). Then the whitening gel is carefully painted onto the front surfaces of your teeth. Depending on the system, we may shine a special light on the teeth to enhance the action of the gel. The gel typically stays on for 15-20 minute intervals, during which you just relax. We might replace the gel with fresh gel once or twice within the visit to maximize the effect. After the final period, we thoroughly rinse off the gel and remove all the protective materials. We’ll check the new shade of your teeth and show you the results in a mirror. It’s common to achieve teeth that are 5-8 shades lighter (on a standard shade guide) in one session, though results vary per individual. We’ll give post-whitening instructions, like avoiding staining foods for the next 24-48 hours, since your teeth can be slightly porous right after whitening and more susceptible to picking up stains.
Take-Home Whitening Procedure
For at-home kits, the first step is making the custom trays. We take impressions of your upper and lower teeth (it’s quick, or we may digitally scan them if we have that technology). Our lab creates the soft trays that fit snugly over your teeth. When you pick up your kit, firstly we’ll need to ensure the trays fit well and show you how to apply the gel. Typically, you’ll put a small drop of gel in each tooth compartment of the tray for the teeth you want to whiten, then press the tray onto your teeth. Any excess that oozes out you’ll wipe off (to minimize gum contact). You’ll wear the trays as instructed – often once a day for a period or possibly twice a day for shorter durations, depending on the gel concentration. We will tailor the regimen to minimize any sensitivity. After each use, you rinse your mouth and clean the trays. You should start seeing differences in a few days and full results in about 10-14 days. We’ll schedule a follow-up to check the outcome and make sure you’re satisfied.
Common treatments
Why choose Nüvodent?
Effective and Even Results
Professional whitening treatments are stronger than over-the-counter products, so they can remove deeper or more stubborn stains that drugstore kits might not touch. Also, with custom trays or careful application in-office, you get even whitening across all visible teeth, without the patchiness that can occur with strips or ill-fitting trays.
Safety and Reduced Sensitivity
Under dental supervision, whitening is very safe. We take precautions to protect your gums and mouth. We can also manage or mitigate sensitivity – for example, if you have a history of sensitive teeth, we might recommend a desensitizing toothpaste or gel before and during treatment, use a slightly lower concentration gel for a longer period, or do the whitening in shorter increments. Store-bought kits often come with one-size-fits-all trays or strips that may expose your gums to gel, which can cause irritation. Our approach helps avoid those issues.
Boost in Confidence
The most important benefit is often how patients feel after whitening. A brighter smile can make you less self-conscious about stained teeth and more inclined to smile freely. It’s one of the simplest cosmetic enhancements that can really lift your self-esteem.
Quick Improvement
In-office whitening provides the quickest way to a dramatically brighter smile. Even the take-home method, being supervised and using higher grade gel than store-bought, yields faster and more noticeable changes than most over-the-counter methods.
Customized Shade
We can tailor the degree of whitening to your preference. Some want a very bright “Hollywood” smile; others want just to remove enough staining to restore a natural white that suits their complexion. Because we can monitor the progress, we can pause when you reach a desired shade.
Your Smile. Your Story.
We always are welcoming new patients.
Our multidisciplinary team is ready for every aspect of your oral health.