Teeth whitening is a proven, safe and easy way to restore the look of your teeth. Though several over-the-counter whitening treatments are available today, they don’t provide the same results as our in-office professional treatments. The whitening solutions that we use at Shepherd Dental contain higher concentrations of bleaching agents and will help deliver you instant and effective results in a short time.
Here are the steps we take to give you a professional teeth whitening treatment:
Preliminary Exam
Before teeth whitening treatments, we will perform a dental exam to ensure your teeth and gums are healthy. Not everybody can safely have a teeth whitening treatment. For instance, oral problems like gum disease must be managed and treated before a whitening procedure. We will provide all the details regarding the potential benefits and risks associated with in-office teeth whitening before proceeding.
Dental Cleaning
Comprehensive dental cleaning is required to make sure the whitening treatment is as effective as possible. The cleanings will remove any surface staining, debris, and tartar from the teeth and prepare them for the whitening procedure.
Impressions for Take-Home Whitening Trays
Along with our office treatments, some patients may opt for custom-fitted trays to use at home to help keep their smiles as bright as possible. For this, we may have to take impressions of your teeth to create a mold that fits your teeth to hold the whitening substance. These impressions are usually taken before the application of our in-office products.
Shade Selection
The next step is to pick the desired shade for your teeth. We will provide a shade guide for this purpose and discuss the whitening effects you can achieve for your teeth.
Safeguarding Your Mouth
The bleaching agent used during professional whitening treatments should not touch soft tissue like the tongue, gums, or cheeks. Your mouth and face will be protected by using various barriers that include cotton rolls, plastic retractors, protective eyewear, bibs, liquid protective shields for the gums, etc.
Applying the Whitening Material
Once your mouth is protected, the bleaching solution is applied over the teeth. We also use lasers to activate the whitening gels. Then, the bleaching agent is given time to work. Typically, the whitener is reapplied and re-activated for fifteen to twenty-minute sessions, repeated until the desired color is reached. During the whitening sessions, you can check the progress using a mirror and shade guide.
End Results
Once the whitening treatment is concluded, your teeth and gums will be meticulously washed, and the protective barriers will be removed. Finally, you will be able to smile and see the results of your whitening treatment.
If you are interested in learning more about our teeth whitening treatments, visit our office, Shepherd Dental PC at 235 E Hildebrand Ave #100, San Antonio, TX 78212, or call at (210) 820-0400 and schedule an appointment.
