You’ve probably seen ads or in-store products for teeth whitening strips or toothpaste that can whiten your teeth over time. While these products can be convenient, if you want to whiten your teeth with more reliable, long-lasting results, professional teeth whitening treatment is the way to go.

Unlike standard teeth whitening kits you buy in-store, take-home kits include custom-made trays that are made to fit your teeth. Before you get your completed kit, your dentist will create molds of your teeth to make the trays. Once the trays are made in a lab and shipped back, your dentist will teach you how to apply the whitening solution to the tray and fit the tray onto your teeth. Usually, you will wear the trays for an hour a day over a period of two weeks to achieve desired results. At Premier Dental Care, we offer teeth whitening either through professional take-home kits or an in-office procedure called Zoom Teeth Whitening.

In-Office Whitening — This technique offers the fastest results with the most powerful whitening solutions available. First, your gums and tooth-root surfaces will be covered with a protective barrier to ensure your safety. A thin plastic device known as a retractor will hold your lips and cheeks away from your teeth as a professional-strength hydrogen peroxide gel is applied. The gel will be left on for about an hour. When it is removed, the results will be obvious immediately.

Take-Home Whitening — This is another effective way to whiten your teeth, though you will play a greater role in ensuring the best possible results and several weeks may be needed to achieve your desired level of whiteness. First, a mold of your teeth will be taken and then two thin, flexible plastic mouth trays will be custom-made for you — one for the top teeth and one for the bottom. You will fill the trays with whitening gel and then position the trays over your teeth. The trays are left in usually for about an hour at a time.

Zoom is a one-time, in-office procedure to whiten your teeth. After a standard cleaning is performed, a hydrogen peroxide whitening gel is applied to the teeth. Then the Zoom light, which activates the gel, is placed near the mouth for fifteen minutes. This process is repeated three times, making the total procedure time around 1 hour. After the procedure is complete, you will be prescribed a professional touch-up kit to maintain your desired results.