Today, a dental patient was interested in receiving a dental whitening treatment. It is generally recommended that you try using over-the-counter teeth whitening products.  This is true especially if you have not performed any type of teeth whitening before.

The patient had a long history of using home whitening kits. She tried many of the over-the-counter brands, including whitening strips and other types of gels.  For the most part, she was generally satisfied with the results from those home bleaching kits.  However, she wanted to be ready for an upcoming weekend event.  You see,  it would take weeks worth of time to prepare and whiten her teeth with these home kits.

So she came to us to try our 1-hour in office professional dental whitening.  She was in her mid 30s, had good dental history, received routine dental cleanings, and had good home dental care.  In addition, she did not want to take a new set of dental radiographs.   Thus, prior to coming to her dental professional whitening appointment, she had arranged to have her digital dental radiographs emailed.

After examining her teeth and gums and after reviewing her x-rays, she was found to have healthy teeth free of decay and gum disease.   All in all, she was free of any other circumstances that may have precluded her as a candidate for dental whitening.

Ideal Candidates for Dental Whitening

Some of these other circumstances under which professional teeth whitening is not ideal are:

• children who are less than 16 years of age
• pregnant or nursing mothers
• people with chronically sensitive teeth or sensitive gums
• anyone who is allergic to peroxide
• patients with worn or chipped enamel
• anybody with exposed roots (roots will not change color since there is no enamel on root)
• those with hyper-pigmented enamel, white spots,
• folks with crowns, veneers or composite/resin restorations (since these will not change color)

As for this patient, the dental whitening appointment went smoothly with no complications.   She felt no sensitivity while undergoing treatment, and was pleased with the results of her whitening session.  At the end, she had improved 6 white-shades.

On the flip side, not all whitening sessions end up with the same results.   But under the right circumstances and with the right candidate, professional teeth whitening can improve the appearance of your smile.  So you can be ready to make that best impression at your upcoming event!

 

Your North Hollywood Dentist,

NoHo Dentist

Penn Soh, DDS