Reverse Stains & Yellowing
If you’re self-conscious about your smile due to stains and yellowing caused by beverages like coffee and tea, tobacco use, or just the aging process, Dr. Nathan Williamson is here to help. With professional take-home teeth whitening kits from Williamson Dental, you can get a beautiful, brilliant smile in the comfort of your own home. Learn more below, or schedule a cosmetic consultation now.
Understanding The Basics
What Is Take-Home Whitening
Take-home whitening uses professional-grade whitening products, but allows you to whiten your teeth in the comfort of your own home under the supervision of Dr. Nathan Williamson. The process starts with an appointment at our office. Dr. Williams will take dental impressions of your teeth with putty, which will be used to create a set of custom, reusable whitening trays.
In a few weeks, you’ll come back to Williamson Dental to pick up your trays, a set of whitening products, and instructions from Dr. Williamson. Then, you’ll simply follow your whitening instructions to restore your smile. Usually, you’ll whiten your teeth for about 1 hour a day for 2-3 weeks.
Take-home whitening provides the same results as in-office whitening, but since your results are more gradual, it’s a bit more subtle. It’s not as obvious that you’ve had your teeth whitened, which some patients prefer. In addition, you don’t have to spend much time in the dentist’s chair, and can whiten your teeth on your own schedule.
Teeth Whitening At Home
OTC (Over-The-Counter) Whitening
Considering OTC (over-the-counter) whitening products instead of professional take-home whitening? While it’s relatively safe to use ADA-approved whitening kits like Crest Whitestrips, it can be dangerous to whiten your teeth at home if you’re not careful.
This is because many DIY teeth whitening kits, particularly those sold online, have a very high level of whitener, and you don’t have the supervision of a dentist to keep yourself safe. It’s entirely possible to damage your teeth by over whitening them, and you could also cause irritation and damage to your gums.
Professional whitening isn’t just safer than DIY whitening, but it’s much more effective. You’ll get custom trays that whiten your entire smile, and your treatment will be customized by Dr. Williamson to ensure you get the results you want. If you want the best results, don’t turn to OTC products. Schedule an appointment with our dentists in Columbia IL today!
Breaking Down The Process
How Teeth Whitening Works
All chemical teeth whitening products use the same basic active ingredients; peroxides. Peroxides like hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide contain oxygen molecules that are very volatile and unstable.
When they contact stains on your teeth, these molecules react by snapping the chemical bonds that hold the stain onto your tooth. In turn, this “bleaches” away the stain, and restores the natural, white appearance of your enamel.
It’s important to note that this process only works on surface stains. Stains that are extremely deep or teeth that are discolored from the inside are not treatable with standard whitening products. An alternative cosmetic treatment like a dental veneer, dental bonding, or a dental crown may be required to treat intrinsic tooth stains.
