Teeth Whitening

Why aren’t my teeth whiter?

Some of the most common reasons teeth lose their luster include:

• Poor oral hygiene
• Consuming darkly pigmented foods and beverages
• Consuming tobacco products
• Medications, like certain antibiotics, antipsychotics, and antihistamines
• Genetics

Your teeth also tend to get duller and discolored as you age. Your hard outer layer (enamel) gradually thins, exposing the soft inner layer (dentin), which gets yellow over time.

How do you whiten my teeth?

Dr. Parish offers two different types of professional teeth whitening:

In-office teeth whitening

With in-office teeth whitening, Dr. Parish can get your teeth up to eight shades whiter in a single hour. First, he applies a protective covering to your gums and tooth roots and uses a retractor to hold your lips and cheeks away from your teeth. Then, he paints a professional-grade whitening solution on your teeth that works while you wait in the chair. 

The whitening solution contains hydrogen peroxide, which penetrates your enamel and breaks up the pigmentation that causes staining. After about an hour, you leave his office with a noticeably whiter smile.

At-home whitening

At-home whitening operates on the same basic principles as in-office whitening, but it uses a solution that’s slightly less strong so that you can do the whitening yourself in the comfort of your home. 

Dr. Parish takes an impression of your teeth that he uses to make custom whitening trays that fit snugly around your smile. You fill the trays with a whitening solution and wear them on your teeth for about an hour at a time. After a few weeks of consistent use, you have a brighter, whiter, shining smile.

Whichever method you end up using, Dr. Parish first performs an oral exam to determine whether or not your discolored teeth are the result of a dental condition that needs to first be treated.

How do I keep my teeth white after a whitening treatment?

You can keep your teeth whitening results for years by following good oral hygiene. Brush twice a day, floss daily, and maintain routine cleanings with Dr. Parish and his team. 

You can also extend the life of your whitening treatment by avoiding darkly pigmented foods like berries and darkly pigmented beverages like coffee, wine, and soda. 

If you use tobacco products, like chewing tobacco or cigarettes, your teeth whitening treatment could be a good excuse to quit!

Can’t I just use an over-the-counter whitener?

Over-the-counter whitening products aren’t as effective as what you get at Dr. Parish’s office, and in some cases can even be harmful to your oral health.

Store-bought whitening treatments use generic strips and trays that aren’t molded to your unique smile and aren’t being applied by a professional, so the whitening solution frequently leaks out and comes into contact with your gums, where it acts as an irritant. 

For a stunning smile, you need professional treatment. Brighten your smile today by scheduling a visit with Dr. Parish. You can book your appointment by phone or online.