Teeth Whitening - Washington DC Metro Center Dentist - Dr. James E. Johnson DDS, & Associates P.C

Teeth whitening

What is teeth whitening?

Whitening is the most often performed cosmetic procedure in the United States today. It can significantly improve how your teeth look in a short period of time.

It is a procedure that helps to remove stains and discoloration. It is commonly done by exposing your teeth to whitening agents, which usually contain hydrogen peroxide as the active ingredient.

In the process of our routine eating activities, a thin coating forms on the tooth enamel (the outer layer of a tooth), and the enamel picks up stains. Also, the enamel contains pores that can hold stains. These can stain the surface of the teeth.

The most common reasons for teeth to get yellow or stained are aging, tobacco, tea and coffee. It is also possible to have stains that are inside the tooth – intrinsic stains. For example, intrinsic stains can be caused by exposure to tetracycline as a child while teeth are developing.

Teeth whitening is most effective on surface stains caused by age, foods or drinks. Whitening will not work on exposed tooth roots or on crowns, veneers or fillings.

When you are considering teeth whitening, we recommend that you consider a procedure that is convenient, has a long lasting effect, has low sensitivity and is proven to be safe.

How is it done?

For in-office whitening, your doctors at James E. Johnson DDS, & Associates P.C. will carefully examine your teeth and gather your medical history to determine the type and severity of staining. We may also photograph your teeth from the beginning, to monitor and show you the progress of the treatment.

Cavities should be treated before teeth are whitened to prevent the whitening solution from passing through decayed areas and damaging the inner parts of the teeth. If this happens your teeth could become sensitive.

Whitening in the office can be done in a single visit. Whitening trays with the appropriate whitening gels will be provided for use at home to make the whitening results more intense and to last longer.

For whitening at home, we take impressions of your teeth to fabricate custom trays to closely fit your teeth. A whitening gel is applied to the inside of these custom trays. Generally these are worn for 1 to 3 hours per day for up to 2 weeks for best results.

As you may be aware, over-the-counter kits also are available for home use. We recommend that you talk to us before you use these over-the-counter products.

Follow-up

We ask you to follow-up a few days after in-office whitening, to check your gums. If your gums were exposed to the whitening agent, they can become irritated.

Some patients have had very good result with Crest white strips. There are two drawbacks. Some patients find them difficult to apply and only the six front teeth are whitened.

The advantage of white strips dispensed in our office is that they are twice as potent compared to the over-the-counter white strips.

What can you expect, and what are the risks?

Whitening is not a one-time solution. The stains will come back. If you smoke or consume a lot of staining foods or drinks, you may see the whiteness start to fade in as little as one month. If you avoid these sources of staining, you may not need another whitening treatment for six to 12 months.

Whitening is unlikely to cause serious side effects. Some people may temporarily experience increased teeth sensitivity or mild gum irritation.

Since the effect of the whitening materials on the development of the fetus is not known, whitening procedures should not be done in pregnant women.

Pictures of actual patients

These photographs where taken after the patient had whitened their top teeth for up to eight nights but before they had started on the lower teeth.