TEETH WHITENING in Muskegon
Learn More About Dental Teeth Whitening
Just about everybody wants to have whiter teeth! We now have multiple alternatives to help our patients in Muskegon area get that radiant smile they deserve!
While there are a few over-the-counter types of products (white strips, mouthwashes, and toothpastes) that can help remove some mild stains or remove plaque off your teeth to make them cleaner, most of these products require constant usage since they are for superficial stains and typically much lower concentrations of the professional products we can offer. Some of our patients have mentioned that the whitestrips you can purchase over-the-counter aren’t as strong of concentration and can feel uncomfortable if you get the solution on your gum tissue. Whitening toothpastes may me helpful to some degree, but you shouldn’t use them frequently, especially if they feel abrasive. That abrasiveness may also be taking off a layer of your enamel!
At the office of Dr. James R. Donley at Lumbertown Dental Wellness in North Muskegon, Michigan, we are proud to offer our patients three different options for whiter teeth. Whiter teeth can help boost your confidence, improve your self-esteem, do better financially, or find a new partner. It is one of the quickest and safest ways to improve your smile.
What Are My Options for Teeth Whitening?
Opalescence Trays – These are soft stock trays with gel in them that you can use for simple, quick lightening of the teeth. For patients with sensitivity, the lower concentration of gel in these trays may be more comfortable. If you have streaks or darker teeth, you may want to consider the custom trays option.
Custom-made Trays – For this process, we will take an impression of both your arches and make custom fitted trays. The advantage of these is that you can do it as often or as little as you want. Using a custom tray helps make sure the gel is closest to your teeth and off your gums for the longest period of time. Generally speaking, it takes approximately two weeks of wearing these at night for a few hours to get a desired result. It varies by the individual, depending upon how diligently they wear the trays, if they are a coffee drinker or smoker, and the density of their teeth.
In-Office Whitening Procedure – For those people with “tougher” stains or darker teeth, or who just want to get it done quicker, this is a great option. We suggest this for those patients with darker stains, or specific areas of staining – such as at the gumline. We can focus the gel on those tougher spots to lighten. The process takes about one hour in the office and may require trays for periodic touch-up at home. The advantage of the in-office technique is it only takes about one hour. Because we can use a higher concentration of bleaching gel than you can get over the counter, it soaks in quicker. We use a light to activate the gel, so if you are in a hurry, ths is a good option.
