Teeth Whitening

Teeth Whitening

We have several options for teeth whitening ranging from take-home kits (Day White) to the one-visit, in-office Zoom Whitening.

When a patient wishes to “lighten” the colour of their teeth, a whitening process can be done. This can be done via in-office or take-home whitening. Even over-the-counter whitening is available. A consult is recommended prior to any whitening procedure. The gingiva (gums), and overall health of the mouth are assessed for readiness of the procedure.

Zoom (LED) Whitening is performed in the office. The gums are isolated with a light-cured material and then a hydrogen peroxide gel is placed on the teeth. The gel is activated with the Zoom (LED) light which helps to “whiten” the teeth. The actual whitening process takes 1 hour but with preparation and post-treatment care, usually a 2 hour appointment is allocated. How light a patient’s teeth will get, will depend on the initial shade of their teeth and their enamel. Most people are quite pleased with the results.

Touchups may be needed after a year or so to restore the lightness of the teeth, should any fadeback occur.

For take-home whitening, impressions of your mouth are taken in the office. Plastic trays that fit your upper and lower teeth are made.  Whitening gel is placed in these trays 2 times per day for 30 minutes - 1 hour at a time.  Usually wearing the trays consecutively for 10-14 days gives the best results.

Over-the-counter whitening preparations are available including whitening toothpaste. Often these are not as concentrated as professional whitening and may give limited results.