Ross White!

Author: Kimberly N. Powell, DDS, MS

There was an episode of the NBC comedy, Friends, where Ross goes a little overboard in whitening his teeth.  The results were “glow in the dark” teeth! A beautiful smile with brilliantly white teeth is desired by a large number of the dental population.  This goal can be accomplished by several methods including bleaching trays, in-office express whitening, whitening strips, dental varnishes, rinses, and toothpastes.  Most people want their teeth brighter as quickly as possible. In-office procedures like Zoom use a gel applied to the teeth activated by a LED light to achieve this result, whitening teeth up to eight shades in one visit!  There are dental varnishes that can be applied to the teeth in office (patient can leave after application), stays on for 30 minutes and is brushed off, resulting in whiter teeth up to four shades! Although some find the whitening trays to be a little cumbersome, others prefer them.  The prescribed whitening gel is either expressed in a custom tray or already saturated in prefabricated ones and worn for up to an hour depending on concentration. There are also over-the-counter products that can achieve great results. Whitening strips produced by Crest, whitening toothpastes by Colgate, Crest, Sensodyne (to name a few), and even whitening rinses are some products that can produce the results you may want.  However, tooth sensitivity is a side effect that should definitely be considered before starting treatment. Also remembering to avoid excess beverages, food, products that can stain your teeth like red wine, coffee, juices, tobacco, etc. If there is an interest in dental whitening, consult your dental professional on the options that may be best for you. If you are interested in whitening your teeth, call us today at 910-497-3200 for more information!

“Be true to your teeth, or they will be false to you.”