Most people agree that whiter teeth make for a more attractive smile. At Georgetown Advanced Dentistry in Washington, DC, Sinclair Davis, DDS, Diana Diaz, RDH, and the rest of the team offer teeth whitening treatments to remove stains and reduce significant discoloration in just one appointment. To consult with the team about making your smile brighter with teeth whitening, call Georgetown Advanced Dentistry, or book an appointment online today.

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What is teeth whitening?

Teeth whitening is a professional treatment to lift stains from your teeth and restore their original white color. Yellow, gray, or brown teeth aren’t necessarily harmful, but they’re not ideal if you want an attractive smile. Teeth whitening is a simple way to make your smile more attractive without replacing or restoring teeth.

Teeth whitening treatments use powerful bleaches like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to break the pigments in your teeth into smaller pieces. After a whitening process, your teeth look brighter because the color is less concentrated.

The team at Georgetown Advanced Dentistry uses Philips Zoom!® in-office whitening to brighten your teeth in an hour or less. If your stains aren’t removable with whitening, they might recommend veneers to cover heavy staining instead.

Why do I have stains and discoloration on my teeth?

Stains and discoloration come from a number of sources. Even if you avoid pigmented foods and substances to the best of your ability, your teeth still become yellower and less bright because of the natural aging process. A few common culprits that stain teeth easily are:

  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Dark cola
  • Berries
  • Red wine
  • Tobacco

If your teeth are gray or blue-ish in color, you’re probably better off using veneers to brighten your smile. These stains come from medications and traumatic injuries instead of foods and substances. Since they affect the deeper layers of your teeth, bleach may not be able to lighten them.

What should I expect during a teeth whitening treatment?

Teeth whitening treatments with Zoom! are painless and fast. During treatment, your provider applies a whitening gel to your teeth after covering your gums with a protective shield. The bleach penetrates the enamel and dentin of your teeth as a bright LED light activates it. The gel stays on your teeth for 15 minutes with the light on it as you relax.

You undergo three 15-minute whitening sessions during your appointment for a total of 45 minutes of whitening time. Before you leave, your provider applies a fluoride gel to your teeth to relieve sensitivity.

When you go home, you should continue to be conscious of consuming staining foods and substances. You should also continue to brush thoroughly at least twice a day to maintain your results.

To find out if teeth whitening is the best way for you to get a more attractive smile, call Georgetown Advanced Dentistry, or book a consultation online today.