Teeth Whitening

All teeth whitening products use either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide as their active ingredient. Peroxides have volatile oxygen molecules, which react violently upon contact with organic stains on your teeth.

This reaction “bleaches” the stain away from your enamel by destroying the chemical bond holding it onto your tooth structure. In turn, this restores the natural white color of your enamel, brightening your smile.

This depends entirely on how well you care for your smile and your newly-whitened teeth. Great oral hygiene and care will extend your results, while poor care and lifestyle habits that stain your teeth, such as smoking, can shorten the lifespan of your results significantly.

Generally speaking, though, most people who get their teeth whitened will enjoy the best results from about 1-2 years. Though your teeth likely won’t return to the original shade after this time, stains and discoloration may begin to build up on them.

Along with good oral care, periodic teeth whitening touch-ups from Dr. Khanani can extend your results indefinitely, so ask us about our touch-up services after your treatment is complete. We can usually provide touch-ups after a routine six-month oral exams and teeth cleaning, for your convenience.

No. Teeth whitening from Khanani Family Dental will not damage your teeth. We use high-quality, safe products, and your whitening plan will ensure that your teeth are never over-whitened or damaged.

However, this is one reason why you should be wary of certain over-the-counter, DIY whitening kits, particularly those available online. They often contain dangerously high levels of whitener that could damage your teeth and your gums with improper use. For this reason, among many others, you should only have your teeth whitened under the supervision of a dental professional.

First, make sure to maintain good oral hygiene. Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day helps keep your mouth healthy and also stops the buildup of staining tartar and plaque. You should also see Dr. Khanani for six-month oral exams and teeth cleanings.

You may also want to integrate whitening toothpaste and mouthwash into your routine. These products can help extend results, and prevent the buildup of minor stains on your teeth. We recommend that you ADA-accepted products to ensure their safety and effectiveness.

Making some lifestyle changes can also help you keep your teeth bright. Cut back on staining beverages like tea, coffee, cola, and wine. When you do consume them, consider using a straw. This minimizes contact with your teeth and can prevent stains.

You also should quit smoking and the use of any type of oral tobacco. Tobacco use is a major cause of yellowing and brown stains, and will ruin your smile quickly after teeth whitening. Invest in your smile and your future oral health and whole-body health by quitting tobacco use.

Professional teeth whitening has a number of great benefits. First, you can get predictable, customized results based on your level of staining, and your desired level of whiteness. Based on the current shade of your teeth and your desired shade, Dr. Khanani will put together a customized take-home kit that will provide you with exactly the results you want.

In addition, you’ll be able to feel better about your smile and your appearance. Stained and yellowed teeth are unsightly, and may make you feel self-conscious about smiling, eating and laughing among other people. Stained teeth can also make you look older than you really are, and affect your self-confidence.

With professional whitening from Khanani Family Dental, you’ll be able to feel great about how your smile looks, and reverse years of stains and yellowing with just a few weeks of convenient, at-home whitening treatment.

There are a few major differences between professional take-home kits and over-the-counter (OTC) whitening kits. First, professional take-home kits are custom-built to fit your teeth, and are intended to whiten all of your teeth. In contrast, OTC kits are “one size fits all,” and often only whiten your front teeth.

Professional take-home whitening is also much safer than using an OTC kit. Many OTC kits available online on websites like Amazon have very high levels of peroxide (whitener), which can make them dangerous to use. If used improperly, these kits could permanently damage your enamel, and cause serious irritation or even chemical burns to your gums.

You’ll get better overall results with professional take-home whitening kits than you would with an OTC kit, so we recommend coming to Khanani Family Dental for an appointment.

However, if you do choose OTC whitening, we recommend choosing only ADA-approved whitening products, like Crest Whitestrips. ADA-approved products typically have lower levels of peroxide, so they are less likely to result in damage to your teeth when used according to their treatment instructions.

Yes. This is common, to be expected, and nothing to be concerned about. During your take-home teeth whitening treatment, you will likely experience some teeth sensitivity, particularly after finishing your daily whitening treatment.

This may also persist for a few days after your treatment is complete, but again, this is nothing to worry about. Whitening-induced sensitivity will go away as you brush your teeth and the fluoride in your toothpaste repairs and “remineralizes” the enamel.

If your teeth feel really sensitive, you can talk to our Holden dentist about whitening your teeth more gradually, or you can use products like Sensodyne toothpaste, Orajel topical numbing products, and over-the-counter pain relievers to help with your discomfort.