Teeth Whitening in Kent, WA
Teeth whitening is the process of lightening teeth that are dull or discolored due to consuming certain types of food/drink, using tobacco, taking particular medications (i.e., antibiotics) or simply getting older. There are many ways to whiten the teeth, including over-the-counter options like toothpastes or strips. But if you haven’t seen the dramatic whitening results you desire from using these over-the-counter options, Dr. Amrita Majumdar recommends professional teeth whitening. He can use professional-strength bleaching gels and techniques to lighten your teeth and create a beautiful, bright smile.
In-Office “Chairside” Whitening
One professional whitening option is to come into Kent Station Family Dentistry for an in-office, “chairside” whitening treatment with the Zoom! system. During a chairside whitening treatment, Dr. Amrita will apply a proprietary bleaching gel to your teeth and activate it with a special blue light. This process produces instant results with very little sensitivity or uncomfortable side effects. The entire treatment takes about an hour and a half and patients typically tolerate it very well. Zoom! has been clinically proven to whiten teeth up to eight shades.
Prior to starting treatment, your teeth and gums will be checked to make sure they are healthy enough for whitening. If it’s been a while since your last teeth cleaning, we will probably recommend you have one before undergoing teeth whitening.
We will place cheek retractors and cotton rolls to protect your gums and the soft tissues in your mouth from the bleaching agent. Then, we will apply a layer of Zoom! bleaching gel to your teeth and position the special laser light in front of your teeth. The gel will sit on your teeth for about 15 minutes, after which we will wipe it off and repeat the process three more times, intermittently checking your progress.
Most patients see an improvement of at least two to three shades after a chairside treatment.
Take-Home Whitening Trays
Another teeth whitening option is to use customized whitening trays in the comfort of your own home. Dr. Amrita will take impressions of your teeth to create customized trays that fit the unique contours of your mouth. The advantage to using customized trays is that because of the great fit, the bleaching gel is less likely to leak out of the trays and irritate your gums and soft tissues. Dr. Amrita will also provide you with a professional strength bleaching gel, and instructions about how long to wear the trays. It can take several days to several weeks of regular use to see results, but many of our patients are thrilled with the outcomes!
In addition to customized whitening trays, we also offer a disposable take-home bleaching system.
Sometimes we recommend take-home whitening trays in conjunction with chairside whitening. The approach that is best for you depends on the severity of your tooth discoloration/staining and your goals of treatment.
