Your Vernon Invisalign® Provider
At Cornerstone Dental with Dr. Clark, our dentists offer both in-office and take-home teeth whitening options to help our Vernon patients whiten their smiles.
What is Professional Teeth Whitening?
When you're whitening your teeth, it's important to do it in a safe and effective way. This could be accomplished with professional teeth whitening.
As we age, our teeth become more susceptible to staining from food and other substances. Our tooth enamel naturally attracts particles, and products like coffee, tea, berries and tobacco are known to stain teeth.
During the teeth whitening treatment process, the effects of aging and staining can be reversed, lightening the colour of your teeth.
How Teeth Whitening Works
Peroxide-based bleaching agents in teeth whitening solutions can help to lighten the colour of your teeth. As the active ingredient breaks down, oxygen acts on the tooth enamel, creating the whitening effect.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
In-office teeth whitening sessions take about two hours at our dental clinic. To start, your dentist will apply a barrier around your teeth and gums to protect them, then cover your teeth in a thin layer of gel, which chemically activates on your teeth. The process is repeated a few times until the best possible shade of white is achieved.
Take-Home Teeth Whitening
We offer at-home whitening options at Cornerstone Dental with Dr. Clark so that you can whiten your teeth in the comfort and convenience of your home. Custom whitening trays are created specifically for your teeth, and your dentist will provide you with detailed at-home instructions to follow during your course of treatment.
Teeth Whitening FAQs
Read the answers to our most frequently asked questions about teeth whitening at Cornerstone Dental with Dr. Clark.
- How long do the effects of teeth whitening last?
Teeth whitening is a temporary solution to whiten your smile.
If your teeth are continually exposed to food and drinks which cause staining, the whiteness will probably begin to fade after a few months.
If you avoid these foods and drinks following your teeth whitening treatment, you may just require a touchup in a year or so.
- Does teeth whitening make teeth more sensitive?
One potential short-term side effect of teeth whitening is tooth sensitivity. For most patients, this fades away within a few days of a whitening session.
To minimize any discomfort, we recommend using an anti-sensitivity toothpaste before treatment and for at least two weeks after your treatment.
- Do teeth whitening products work on all stains?
We've found that yellow and brown-coloured stains respond the best to teeth whitening treatments.
On the other hand, grey, blue and purple-coloured stains tend not to respond well to whitening at all. If your teeth have these types of stains, veneers or dental crowns may be a better fit for you.
- Does teeth whitening work on dental restorations?
Teeth whitening only works on natural teeth, not existing dental restorations such as dental crowns or veneers.
If crowns or veneers are part of your treatment plan, you should whiten your teeth before your dental restorations are placed.
- Will teeth whitening damage my tooth enamel?
When used under the supervision of a qualified dentist, it's very unlikely that teeth whitening will damage your dental enamel.
Your dentist should always be consulted any time you are considering using teeth whitening products to ensure that you are using them safely.
- Does insurance cover the cost of teeth whitening?
Dental insurance does not typically cover the cost of teeth whitening, as it is a purely cosmetic procedure with no health benefits for your teeth.