Teeth Whitening

All whitening uses a whitening gel of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. They whiten in two ways:

1. Long term: The bleach directly in contact with the tooth (a thicker layer will not whiten more than a thin layer on the tooth, ever) permeates into the tooth and breaks the stain into small pieces, whitening the structure of the tooth.
2. Short term: Because of the way the bleach works, the teeth also dehydrate somewhat, making them appear whiter until the tooth re-hydrates. Some whitening methods do this much more than others. This typically reverts in 72 hours. We recommend going one shade lighter or one day longer than the color that you want.

Carbamide Peroxide is essentially Hydrogen Peroxide in a slower acting form. When evaluating the whitening power of the two, hydrogen peroxide is about 3 times as powerful. It also reacts 5-10 times as fast. Hydrogen Peroxide burns the mouth’s soft tissues (gums), so it must be applied more carefully. With equivalent whitening powers of both gels, Carbamide Peroxide results in much less sensitivity as well. For take home whitening, Carbamide Peroxide in a strong concentration is ideal. For in-office whitening where we can eliminate exposure to your gums, Hydrogen Peroxide in its strongest concentrations can be used.

You can read more about the differences here.

Take home whitening is a 2 part system:

1. The powerful 44% carbamide peroxide gel that actually goes on your teeth and whitens.
2. Trays custom molded to your teeth to keep the gel in place and keep your saliva away, as well as helping to protect your gums.

We offer 2 types of take home whitening, both of which come with a 1 month supply (if used every day) of the strongest take home teeth whitening gel on the market. Semi custom whitening uses standard trays that are then molded to your teeth. Fully custom trays are a custom fit tray that exactly conforms to your tooth anatomy. The biggest difference between the two is the amount of gel you end up using to achieve the results you want.

Honest Dental's premium teeth whitening service is a single visit solution for those who want dramatically whiter teeth. Using the latest whitening technologies, we place a barrier on your gums that protects them while we whiten. Then, we use powerful whitening gel along with light and heat that activates it to work much faster. Multiple applications are used until you are satisfied with the level of whiteness that is achieved. Most patients are completely satisfied with a single visit. Minor touch-ups can be made over time.

Although laser whitening works somewhat, the gel used with laser whitening is generally less concentrated than our in-office whitening. The significant heat and light of the laser dehydrates the tooth much more than most forms of whitening. Because of the significant dehydrating effect, the immediate result is very white. but does not last long, because the tooth re-hydrates in one to three days.