Whitening Your Teeth

At COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL CARE, Dr. Loyce Jones, feels there is nothing quite like a patient that is happy with their smile. TOOTH WHITENING, is just one great way to begin the process of getting that smile you always wanted.  Our philosophy on whitening might surprise you .

Did you know that most of our patients can have whiter teeth by just using an over the counter product?  Crest white strips is our favorite over the counter product.  If you are current with your dental care, and your dentist and hygienist have offered you whitening, you can always try Crest White strips to see if they meet your needs. 

Most often the type of whitening a patient chooses is based in their wants and needs.  Crest white strips have a multitude of styles and shapes.  You just pick the one that suits you. The reason we recommend Crest White Strips is because they use the products we use in our office to whiten your teeth, just at a much lower dosage.  It might take 1-3 boxes to whiten at the level you would like but give it a try.  THE BIG “BUT”- to using an over the counter product is you must consult your dentist first. We will let you know if there is any reason you cannot whiten (ie infection, nursing, pregnant, tooth colored fillings or crowns, etc.)

OKAY what other ways can you whiten? 

The most common way to whiten in a dental office is by having custom whitening trays made. This means you have upper and lower impressions made of your teeth, then our staff will make soft rubber trays to fit you.  This takes two appointments, 1. Impressions  2. Delivery of the trays and whitening solution and instructions.  Most patients that choose this method wear the trays when they sleep at night, or for 2-4 hours during the day.  Wearing the trays 2-4 hours gives the solutions time to work.  Most patients use the trays for 2-3 weeks depending on how white you want your teeth.  REMEMBER- the good thing about all whitening techniques is you can most often titrate, or pick the level of whitening.  You will be seeing your dentist regularly to monitor your whitening and answering any questions and they can help you decide what is a safe amount of whitening.