How Long Will It Take to Whiten My Teeth?

Some people need to go in for regular dental procedures in order  to maintain good oral health. And out of the many dental procedures, teeth whitening is always somewhere at the top of the list.

A significant concern about teeth whitening is “how long does it take.” There is no definite answer to this. In fact, there are several types of chair-side and over-the-counter treatments, and all of them differ. 

Read on to know more about the different procedures and how long each takes.

Discoloration of Teeth

To better understand the teeth whitening procedure and how long it takes, we need to understand the root cause behind discoloration.

  • Genetics and age: Your genetics may be to blame for some discoloration. If someone in your family had less than white teeth, it might have been passed down to you. In addition, your teeth can get less white with age, too.
  • Consumption of certain foods: The most common cause of discoloration is years of drinking tea, coffee, soda, wine, and smoking, just to name a few. Moreover, eating too many foods containing large amounts of natural dyes can cause discoloration. 
  • Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions and resulting hormonal changes, poor nutrition, and certain medications can also cause you to have discolored teeth.

Teeth Whitening: Procedures and Their Durations

Several people do opt for at-home kits or remedies to brighten their teeth. But the dentists office can offer much more effective procedures for teeth whitening. 

Here are a few teeth whitening procedures you can choose from and their durations.

  1. Chairside Bleaching

This is the best method for teeth whitening since it is quick and easy. The procedure takes somewhere between 60 to 90 minutes. At the end of the procedure, patients walk away with teeth that are 2-3 shades lighter.

  1. Whitening Rinses

Whitening rinses take a very long time to achieve adequate results. Nonetheless, they are a a good, recommended method for maintaining professionally whitened teeth. Simply rinse your mouth a few times every day, like you would with a regular rinse.

  1. Whitening Toothpaste

Whitening toothpaste is available over the counter and is commonly used for teeth whitening. It is the enzymes in whitening toothpaste that remove stains. If you brush with them twice daily, you should be able to see their effects in two to six weeks.

  1. Whitening Strips

Whitening strips are an extremely popular form of teeth whitening. However, this is not always the best solution for people with sensitive teeth. Moreover, it takes a long time before you see results. They need to be worn for up to 2 hours every day, for 2 to 3 weeks.

  1. Whitening Gel and UV lights

The peroxide-based gel is intended to be used with a blue UV light to produce high levels of whitening. The UV light activates the peroxide and speeds up the whitening process. If done daily, you should notice benefits in 10-14 days.

  1. At-Home Whitening Gel Trays

Whitening gel trays will give you results after a week, with the best results between the 2- to 4-week mark. Furthermore, the degree of whitening you notice will depend on the strength of the peroxide and the length of time you wear it.

  1. Whitening Pens

Whitening pens are tiny, portable tubes of whitening gel for spot stain removal. They are like touch-ups for your teeth. Whitening pens might take anywhere from 2 and 7 days to work. Even then, they provide negligible and short-lived results.

Precautions After Teeth Whitening

Now that your teeth are beautifully white, time to ensure that they stay that way for a long time. Listed here are some tips to ensure that the effects of teeth whitening do not fade quickly.

  • Remember to brush after every meal, or at least twice a day.
  • Try to avoid any food or drink that might stain your teeth.
  • Remember to brush your teeth after consuming things that may cause staining. 
  • In case you consume something acidic, wait 30 minutes to brush, as brushing immediately may be detrimental to your teeth.
  • Rinse your mouth after eating. Alternatively, chew sugar-free gum.
  • Include a whitening toothpaste or a rinse into your usual dental care routine.

Conclusion

Having whiter teeth can have a significant impact on your confidence. Today, there are numerous at-home and in-office teeth whitening treatments and products. These include professional bleaching and whitening strips. 

Whitening toothpaste, pens, and rinses are some at-home options, but they do not last long. However, they can extend the effects of whitening treatments at the dentists.

Nevertheless, with all the conflicting information about teeth whitening, it is best to consult your dentist to assess what might suit you best. After all, they know the right way to whiten teeth without any major consequences. Call Pure Dental Arts today if you would like to know more!

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-teeth-whitening-last#how-long-does-it-last

https://danawaltersdds.com/blog/how-long-does-it-take-for-teeth-whitening-to-work/https://www.sagedentalcare.com/blog/2020/11/11/how-long-does-it-take-to-whiten-your-teeth.html#:~:text=The%20UV%20light%20is%20said,from%20two%20to%20six%20weeks.https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-teeth-whitening-last#how-long-does-it-lasthttps://www.healthysmilesgeorgetown.com/blog/long-take-whiten-teeth/

 

Teeth Whitening- Part 1

William Rounseville Alger (1822-1905) once said “Even pearls are dark before the whiteness of his teeth.” Sure that must be some white teeth there. The history of dental care goes way back in history, it was recently reported in a reputed newspaper, that our ancestors around 3000B.C used something known as “chew sticks” to maintain dental health and whiten their teeth. However, we have come a long way in dental care since the age of our ancestors. Today in 21st century, you can find endless number of advertisement regarding teeth whitening. Every product claiming to be better than the other, and every product giving an excuse of saving a trip to your friendly neighborhood dentist. 

Now the question arises, how important are your teeth to you ? Its a vital part of our body and an important part of your persona, makes you look more attractive. Everyone wants white and healthy looking teeth and for that they need to be cared for… by professionals. Imagine, one day there will be a product that would treat your heart ailments without necessitating a visit to your doctor, would you take that gamble? 

Having said that, let me give you an insight about teeth whitening. Teeth Whitening done right does not harm the teeth or gums. The key to that it has to done in a professional manner to be effective and safe. You will be surprised to learn how affordable a professional teeth whitening can be at your neighborhood Queen Anne Dental.

The ingredient we use to whiten teeth breaks down the  stains on the surface of the teeth and makes the color of teeth lighter. Whitening ingredient does not affect or lighten the color of the fillings, crowns etc. There are different strength and different type of ingredient which can be use for teeth whitening. With our state of the art technology at Queen Anne Dental, we can even whiten severely stained teeth. The key to it is using the correct technique and ingredient. 

The most common side effect of whitening is teeth sensitivity and irritation of the gums , which most of the time is temporary and subsides in few days after stopping the whitening treatment. In my next blog post I will go over various option and techniques for teeth whitening, so stay tune for more…

Teeth Whitening-Part 2

Welcome back friends, this would be an eagerly awaited continuation of my previous blog on teeth whitening. Today, I will shed some light in the various techniques used in this process…

Let’s start with the basics, as many of you would already know, for any whitening system to be effective, apart from your dentist’s expertise, it needs time, strength of the solutions and intimate contact with the teeth surface. It works with simple logic, a higher strength solution would take less time to whiten the teeth but in process, can cause increase in teeth sensitivity, gum irritation etc. and a lower strength solution would need more time to act but are gentler to your teeth and gums. Solution contact with the teeth is very important, and all the effort is made that it does not get diluted with saliva or potentially irritates your gum. 

Now the question arises, why not use numerous over the counter teeth whitening system available in the stores and avoid a visit to you friendly neighborhood dentist. They do advertise a lot, it must be good, right ? …

Regarding over the counter products, there are hundreds of over the counter products that we can find these days such as strips, trays, gel, pens etc. How do we decide which ones are good and which ones to avoid? Remember the two important things while choosing a solution – strength of the solution and the intimate contact with the teeth. In addition, make sure that the solution is fresh, does not leak, become diluted by saliva or cause any sensitivity or gum irritation. 

Over the counter products are mass produced, they are not custom made for you. Your teeth alignment would be very different from your best friend and this requires your dentist to give you an effective whitening treatment, just designed for your teeth, that lasts longer,  without causing any discomfort of gum irritation or giving you extra sensitive teeth. It’s an art to use a product that best fits your need and in the right concentration to give you THAT lasting smile which you had always longed for…

Shopping malls- we have all seen the teeth whitening booth at shopping malls. The offer quick whitening options and we wonder how they work. What does they do is shine very bright light for some time it causes teeth to dehydrate temporarily. When teeth are dehydrate they became  lighter in color and we see the instant results. But teeth rehydrate after few hours and the color goes back to the original. They also uses a chemical which you get at store but the actual contact time with teeth is short so not very effective.

Now let me give you a little insight about the teeth whitening process, as done by a professional… 

First, there is take home whitening trays- This is consider to be the gold standard in teeth whitening. In this a very well fitted custom whitening tray is fabricated by your dentist according to the shape and alignment of your teeth. The dentist provides you  with the whitening solution which you can put in tray and apply on your teeth. The good thing is that you can control the time which you want to wear the tray and the result you want. Remember longer you will wear the tray whiter your teeth will get. So be careful what you wish for.. 🙂

Second, is at office teeth whitening- done by your dentist at the office under close supervision where in a high strength gel is carefully applied to the teeth, it is most useful for people who feels the application too cumbersome with take home tray or those who need instant result for that special occasion in life. 

Lastly, there is a method that is the combination of the two, especially for those whose teeth are severely stained and discolored… and yes.. we do take care of those teeth as well.. This method does provide a long lasting result. 

Well guess the above information should be good for you all. If you have more questions, and we at Queen Anne Dental understand that, and are here to help you in every way possible. Please feel free to give us a call to clarify your doubts or schedule an appointment with us. We will make sure that its a comfortable experience for you.. 

Till next time.. Adios….