One of the key questions we get frequently is, “What would you recommend to whiten my teeth?” At Cedarwood Dentistry, we offer various options for whitening your teeth, including one-size-fits-all whitening systems and same-day whitening treatment. However, our most effective and widely used product is custom whitening trays made to fit your specific teeth.
Using our steps below, you can obtain a whiter, brighter smile in just a few minutes a day with your custom whitening trays from Cedarwood Dentistry in Midlothian.
- Remove your custom whitening trays and distinguish between the upper and lower trays. The upper trays will have more prominent central teeth than the lowers ones.
- Open your whitening gel or locate your opened syringe.
- Look at your smile in the mirror and determine how many of your top and bottom teeth can be seen at a full smile. Most people will only need to whiten to their first molars because their second molars are not visible.
- Dispense a small amount of whitening gel into your trays from the first molar to the first molar (or more or less, depending on how many teeth can be seen when you smile).
- Place the tray onto your teeth and lightly push the trays towards your teeth to adapt the gel to your enamel.
- Wear the trays for at least ten days in a row or as directed by your dentist. If you become sensitive after using the gel, either reduce the time you wear the trays or wear them every other day for 10 uses total.
- Opalescence whitening gel is effective for up to 6 hours of use, but our recommended use times are as follows:
- 10%: up to 6 hours
- 15%: 3-4 hours
- 20%:2-3 hours
- 35%: 30 minutes
- Results may vary due to the presence of restorations or intrinsic stain (internal Stain) due to antibiotic use, trauma, or root canals. Talk to your dentist about expected results.
- Once you are happy with the color of your teeth, we recommend maintaining your white teeth by whitening them one treatment per month.
Issues that may arise when whitening include sensitive teeth and burning gums after using the whitening gel.
If you have sensitive teeth, we recommend using sensitive toothpaste and decreasing the time you use the gel or alternating days of using the whitening gel. Alternatively, you may want to ask your dentist for a lower percentage of whitening gel.
Burning gums after using whitening gel is a common problem that arises from the hydrogen peroxide touching gingival tissue. We recommend using less gel in your trays so that it does not touch your gums and not brushing your teeth immediately before whitening.