Teeth Whitening – Bellevue, WA

How Does In-Office Whitening Work?

You’ll first begin by scheduling a consultation with Dr. Preet. She will go over the process of teeth whitening with you and discuss what you hope to achieve with this type of treatment. After examining your teeth and determining where the stains exist and how far down they go in your teeth, she will create a personalized treatment plan.

Should you opt for in-office treatment, she will apply a whitening gel to the surface of your teeth before using a special UV-light to blast away those stubborn, deep down stains. Within an hour, you’ll notice your smile is drastically brighter.

How Does At-Home Whitening Work?

If you’d rather whiten your teeth at home, on your own time, your cosmetic dentist can supply you with custom-made whitening trays. During your initial visit, she will take impressions of your teeth and send them off to a dental lab to have technicians created your trays. Using a designated amount of high-grade bleaching gel, you will dispense the proper amount into the trays and wear them once a day for two weeks.

While it can take longer to see results, you will still achieve the same whiter smile as you would if you had an in-office treatment.

Benefits of Professional Teeth Whitening

When it comes to deciding between professional or over-the-counter teeth whitening solutions, there’s no comparison. When looking at the benefits offered with professional teeth whitening, you’ll quickly learn why you should never waste your money on any of the store-bought kits:

• It’s safer because it’s being administered by a highly skilled dental professional
• Should you choose a professional take-home kit, it will be customized to fit your smile
• Fewer chances for the bleaching gel to irritate the soft tissues of your mouth
• Results are quicker (i.e. In-Office treatment takes 1 hour, and Take-Home treatment shows results in two weeks)
• It’s more effective because of the high-grade whitening gel used for in-office and at-home treatments.

How to Maintain Results

If you want your results to last as long as possible, here are some tips you should follow to maintain your whiter, brighter smile:

• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean your teeth twice a day for two minutes.
• Floss at least once a day
• Rinse using an antimicrobial mouthwash
• Maintain your regular dental appointments (twice a year)
• Avoid consuming any stain-causing foods or beverages (i.e. coffee, tea, soda, red wine, tomato sauce, soy sauce)
• Quit smoking
• Wear a mouthguard at night if you are prone to teeth grinding or clenching
• Opt for sugarless gum if you find yourself chewing on inanimate objects (i.e. pens, pencils)

Teeth Whitening FAQs

Are your pearly whites not so pearly or white anymore? Then you might benefit from our professional teeth whitening treatment. Whether you choose at-home or in-office whitening, rest assured that it will make a significant difference in your smile. Before undergoing treatment, though, you’re going to want to be as well-informed as possible. That’s why we’ve taken the liberty of answering some frequently asked questions about teeth whitening.

How Much Does Teeth Whitening Cost?

It’s no secret that professional teeth whitening from your dentist will cost a bit more than the products you would buy at the drugstore. However, keep in mind that when it comes to dental care, you generally get what you pay for. If you want actual results that last, you’re going to want to invest a little in your treatment. The price of your teeth whitening will vary based on a few factors, such as how many teeth you want whitened, whether you opt for in-office or take-home treatment, and whether your insurance decides to cover it.

How Long Will My Results Last?

The answer to this question varies depending on your lifestyle habits. For example, if you smoke or frequently consume staining items like coffee or darkly pigmented sauces, your teeth may revert back to their original discolored shade within a few weeks. On the other hand, if you take good care of your teeth with regular brushing, flossing, dental checkups, and whitening touch-ups, your results could last for several months or even years to come.

Is Teeth Whitening Safe?

Professional teeth whitening treatment from a dentist has been proven to be perfectly safe for your teeth. We take great care to ensure that our materials do not harm your pearly whites during treatment. Unfortunately, the same cannot always be said about whitening kits you find at the store or online. They are not tailored to your unique dental needs as ours is.

Will Teeth Whitening Cause Permanent Sensitivity?

You might be under the impression that since over-the-counter whitening treatments can result in tooth sensitivity, that the same is true for professional whitening. However, any sensitivity that you may feel after our whitening treatment should be temporary. It should subside after one or two days at the absolute most, then return to the level of sensitivity that you had prior to undergoing whitening. In the meantime, you can use desensitizing toothpaste or pain medications like ibuprofen to alleviate the discomfort.