Emily Bovaird On Teeth Whitening
Today, Emily dispels some common misconceptions about the teeth whitening process and describes three different whitening processes offered in the clinic. She explains how she uses her personal experience and professional knowledge to help patients choose the best whitening products to match their budget and expectations.
It’s very client-specific. Just like dental care.
-Emily
Whitening. So I was actually writing an Instagram post about teeth whitening the other day. Wait, does that sound right? Tooth whitening implies that you are whitening one tooth. Singular. But really, you are whitening all your teeth so it should be teeth whitening. Right? I don’t know what is the right way to say it. When you’re brushing your teeth, you don’t call it a teethbrush. You call it a toothbrush, but why? It’s all very confusing. Teeth are just confusing.
I feel like people want to know about teeth whitening
We get a lot of questions in the administration area when people come into the clinic and over the phone. People ask what is the best over-the-counter product for teeth whitening. And to be totally honest, and I am as transparent as I can possibly be, I have yet to see an over-the-counter product that does what people want it to do. There’s all kinds of strips, there’s toothpaste, there’s all kinds of stuff out there.
The problem with all of those products is that they are not overly strong and the placement of them is not very good because it’s too generic. So I usually recommend a product that we have in the office because I know what’s in it and I know that it works. I know that it's going to fit them properly and they are going to get a result.
“And to be totally honest, and I am as transparent as I can possibly be, I have yet to see an over-the-counter product that does what people want it to do.”
We have a few different products in our office that I will recommend based on budget and the results the patient is looking for. We have preloaded trays, we have custom trays, and we have in-office options. With our products, I know that the concentration of the whitening product is purchased by a dental professional and the ingredients are stronger so the patient gets the results that they are looking for.
We have a really cool product called a pre-loaded tray
It’s a one-size-fits all tray, but it has the proper amount of whitening materials inside this tray. You put it inside of your mouth and it forms with a wax over top of your teeth. It’s a good starting point for some people if they are wanting to dip their toes into whitening. [Editor’s note. Teeth whitening is for teeth, not for toes. Don’t try that at home, ladies and gentlemen. JB] It’s not overly costly and you get quite a bit of material. You get a full ten days worth and a lot of people, or so I’ve heard, have told me that over the course of those ten days, they can stop around the six or seven day mark so they have a few trays left over. Then, they can pop them in their fridge and use them later to touch up. I usually recommend coming for your dental hygiene appointment and then using one of those trays after so you’re consistent with it every three months. It’s a nice option to have to see if whitening works for you.
Custom trays are custom to you
In our office, we take a 3D scan of your teeth and then our lab manager fabricates the tray that is made from your scan. She will 3D print your scan and then we fabricate a custom tray that fits you. So, unlike the preloaded trays, you have to apply the whitening product inside of the trays. It’s very simple to do. We go through all of that when you pick them up. You just load it up and you wear it for fifteen to thirty minutes. You take it out, brush your teeth and it’s done. So these ones are more specific to you. You get into all the nooks and crannies because the product is custom to you. These trays are your teeth.
In-office whitening is an application that our dental clinician will apply for you
We consider it more of a boost. It gives you a result that you would get in three or four days of take home whitening. It’s like an advance. You still need to whiten at home, which is why we include the take-home kit in our office cost. We want you to continue to whiten for the next couple days to get a full result. The product we have currently gives you a nice head start. You can get a three to four day head start on your process for an event. It takes about one to one and a half hours, depending on how many rounds of the whitening we do on your teeth. It’s another option that we offer.
I whiten my teeth
When I first started whitening, I did it for six days straight. My teeth were pretty sensitive, which is normal. Your teeth are becoming dehydrated; they are more porous so they become more sensitive. Once they rehydrate and mineralize, the sensitivity dies down. I was very happy with the result of my whitening. I get compliments all the time on how bright my smile is. Now, I do it before events mostly. I just need one to two days to touch up the brightness. After that first bout of whitening, your teeth stay in a certain shade and then you can brighten when you need it. For myself, I know that I only need a solid two days to brighten them.
Consistency
It is so important to be consistent the first time you do whitening. If you’re not consistent, you won’t see results. You can still be consistent, even with sensitivity, you just need to break it up. One day of whitening and then the next day, wear the Sensodyne in your trays. And then continue alternating whitening and the Sensodyne treatment. Whether you are willing to go through sensitivity is a personal preference. But we are always looking for more advanced products designed to reduce it. Some people are hypersensitive with their teeth so whitening might be something they don’t want to do. But I’ve also had people with sensitive teeth who have tried whitening and it didn’t make their teeth any more sensitive. It’s very client-specific. Just like dental care.