Bright, white teeth certainly add to the beauty of your smile and can really increase your confidence. The American Dental Association notes your only choice for whitening back in the 1800s was in-office bleaching on nonvital teeth.
Today’s consumer has many more options to choose from, including home-applied products that promise to keep your teeth looking their best. Unfortunately, not every take-home product lives up to its promise. Here at Meadowbrook Dental Care, we can help you sort through the hype and select a whitening technique that’s suited to your lifestyle and budget.
What methods are available for whitening teeth?
We give our patients several options to choose from when it comes to brightening and whitening their smiles. Of course, it all starts with good oral hygiene that includes brushing twice daily and flossing once a day, along with routine visits to your dentist for exams and professional cleaning.
When you want the fastest results for teeth whitening, we offer a choice of two in-office treatments that ensure you’ll leave the office with whiter teeth.
The Philips Zoom® combines whitening gel with LED light therapy and takes just 45 minutes. This method can lighten your teeth a full eight shades with just one session.
The other in-office technique we use is the Venus White Max® system, which lightens your teeth dramatically with just one appointment.
If your schedule and budget are more attuned to home whitening, we recommend our patients use the Venus White Ultra® system to effectively whiten their teeth within seven days. We’ve evaluated the results of other take-home whitening kits and think this one meets our standards for truly effective results without damaging your oral health.
And for at-home touch-ups, we offer whitening pens, gels, and other items from Whiter Image™ Dental that keep your teeth looking their best between whitening treatments. We’ll also give you precise instructions regarding the most effective use of these products at home.
How does the Venus White Ultra system work?
Considered a professional-strength alternative to those often less-than-effective, over-the-counter products available at your drugstore, the Venus White Ultra system includes prefilled trays that make the process easy and convenient. The mint-flavored gel contained in the thin, flexible trays is 11.2% hydrogen peroxide and takes seven days to whiten your teeth.
Each kit contains seven upper and seven lower trays that you use daily and then toss after leaving them in place for 30-45 minutes. Most of our patients notice visibly whiter teeth within three days, and the majority are happy with the results after seven days.
The trays are thin and flexible enough to form to your teeth, which increases the gel’s effectiveness and makes the process more comfortable. Designed for adults and older teens, the kit also includes pieces that can be customized to better fit the shape of your mouth, if necessary.
You may experience some tooth sensitivity and gum irritation when using this product, but that’s true with all teeth whitening processes. When you use the kit as directed, the discomfort is typically minimal and resolves quickly.
We can’t promise this take-home system is equal to professional, in-office whitening. But it can be an excellent choice if you don’t have the budget for in-office treatments or want the convenience of whitening your teeth at home. We recommend it because we’ve seen effective results and, with the prefilled trays, it’s easy to use.
At Meadowbrook Dental Care our highest priority is to provide the most effective options available to keep your smile healthy and bright. Click the scheduling tool here on the website, or call our office in Mineola, New York, if you’d like to come in for a teeth whitening consultation.