Teeth Whitening Specialist

Why aren’t my teeth whiter?

There are a variety of reasons why your teeth might not be as white as you’d like, such as:

• Poor oral hygiene
• Eating foods with dark pigments, like carrots or berries
• Drinking beverages with dark pigments, like coffee or red wine
• Consuming tobacco products
• Medications, like certain antihistamines, antipsychotics, and medications for high blood pressure
• Early exposure to certain antibiotics (tetracycline and doxycycline)

Your teeth also change color over time, as the hard outer enamel gets thinner and exposes the soft inner dentin, which naturally gets more yellow as you age.

How does teeth whitening work?

There are a variety of ways to whiten your teeth, but almost all of them come down to the same, simple process. A whitening solution with a bleaching agent is placed on your teeth, where it breaks up your stains into smaller pieces. This fragmentation makes the staining color less concentrated, giving your teeth a whiter and brighter look.

Will whitening work on my tooth stains?

It depends. Some stains are responsive to whitening treatments, while others are not. Yellow staining tends to whiten very well, while brown and gray stains tend to not be as affected by whitening treatments. Whitening also doesn’t work on caps, crowns, or fillings, and is less effective on teeth that are discolored from medications or injuries.

Speak with Dr. Ilyayev about whether or not you’re a candidate for whitening. If you’re not, he might be able to guide you towards other solutions for enhancing the appearance of your smile, like veneers.

What are my teeth whitening options?

There are many different professional treatments to whiten your teeth and give your smile some shine, such as:

At-home custom bleaching trays

Custom bleaching trays are molded from an impression of your teeth. You fill them with a professional-grade bleaching solution and wear them whenever is most convenient for you. Dr. Ilyayev can advise you on the length of time you need to wear them, but many patients see noticeable results within a few days or weeks.

In-office whitening

Dr. Ilyayev can use in-office whitening, otherwise known as chairside bleaching, to get your smile whiter in just one office visit. Using a protective gel or rubber shield to protect your gums, he paints a whitening solution on your teeth that can get your teeth two to three shades whiter in only 30 minutes.

Should I whiten my teeth with over-the-counter products?

While incredibly popular, over-the-counter whitening strips and strays aren’t a good substitution for professional-grade treatment. The bleaching solution used in these products isn’t as strong as what you can get with Dr. I Dental PC, and, because the strips and trays aren’t designed to fit your unique smile, the bleaching solution frequently leaks out and irritates your gums.

If you want to safely and substantially improve the color of your teeth, get help from the professionals at Dr. I Dental PC. Don’t wait, book your appointment today by calling the offices or scheduling your visit online.