Long Island Professional Teeth Whitening
Thinking of treating yourself to a smile makeover? Want to finally take years of stain off of your teeth? Sachem Dental Group offers two types of professional teeth whitening treatments for our patients. Both offer optimal results using professional grade gel, for the brightest white possible.
Whitening is the perfect stand-alone smile makeover treatment or can be combined with other cosmetic services at our Suffolk County practice. If you’re planning on having dental work on any of your front teeth, we recommend whitening your smile first so that the new restoration can match the neighboring tooth shade.
Same Day In-Office Whitening
When you’re short on time, have naturally dark teeth, or are planning on an upcoming important event where you need to look your best, our same day teeth whitening is a perfect choice.
At Sachem Dental Group, in-office whitening usually takes about 60-90 minutes to complete. We apply the product directly to your teeth and use a bright light to accelerate the stain oxidation process. The gel is then rinsed away and reapplied two or three more times until full results are achieved. Although individual results can vary, most of our patients can expect to see improvement of 3-7 shades in the same appointment.
Depending on your situation, you can also follow up with take home trays to maximize the outcome of your treatment.
Take Home Professional Kits
To whiten your teeth in the convenience of your own home, we can fit you with custom whitening trays that snuggly wrap over your unique bite. This allows the gel to rest closely against your teeth for even results without wasting product or irritating your gums.
Using a take home kit is simple. First, we recommend having your teeth cleaned at our Long Island office to polish away any surface stains. Then we take an impression of your mouth and create a tray, which allows you to place a small dot of product in the reservoir of each visible tooth. Wear the tray for an hour a day (some people prefer to sleep in theirs overnight) for 10-14 days. You’ll start to see improvement after a few days, but you’ll continue to see improvement in your enamel color after several days of use.
You can use your custom whitening trays to touch up your smile after each six month cleaning. Wear them for an hour a day for a few days. Since you’ve already whitened before, it doesn’t take as long to boost your smile’s color.
What You Need to Know Before Whitening Your Teeth
Having your teeth professionally whitened can give you the best results with the least chance of side-effects. Because over the counter products tend to be looser and one-size, the products often spill onto the gums (causing tissue bleaching or chemical burns) or uneven whitening across your teeth. Having a dentist oversee your whitening is the fastest and safest way to get the best results.
If you have any restorations like tooth colored fillings or porcelain crowns, those materials won’t change if they’re exposed to a whitening product. Only the teeth next to them will whiten. So, if you’re planning on upcoming cosmetic treatments or to have older restorations replaced, you’ll want to whiten your teeth first and then have the new restorations made to match their new color.
Some people experience sensitivity when they whiten, because of how the tooth responds to the whitening products. It happens when the ingredients come into contact with the microscopic pores across your enamel. For our patients with especially sensitive teeth, our Suffolk County dentists may recommend using desensitizing toothpaste for a few weeks leading up to their treatment, and a couple of weeks afterward. We can also place a fluoride or desensitizing gel on your teeth to reduce symptoms of hypersensitivity.
People with extremely tenacious discoloration (such as tetracycline staining) will typically see an improvement but may need the deepest level of whitening treatment for the best results. Whitening is usually the most appropriate option to try before opting for a non-reversible treatment like veneers or crowns.
With over 35 years of experience, our Long Island dentists can work with you to determine the best course of action for treating severe tooth staining. Read more about teeth whitening benefits and risks HERE.
An Affordable Cosmetic Option for Adults and Teens
Whitening your teeth is one of the most affordable cosmetic treatments in dentistry. Because it’s effective on its own or can be combined with other aesthetic procedures, whitening offers opportunities for every budget.
Typically, in-house whitening costs more than a take-home teeth bleaching kit. But it can save you valuable time, because the results are achieved in just one day instead of wearing the trays over a period of two weeks. But for maintenance purposes, custom trays are cost effective and allow you to touch up whenever you want (we recommend at least twice a year, after your regular checkup and cleaning with our Long Island dentists.)
Who Makes the Ideal Candidate for Whitening Their Teeth?
Whitening is safe for adults and teens. You can even combine it with treatments like Invisalign at the same time, for whiter and straighter teeth.
Before you can start whitening your teeth, you’ll need to make sure that they’re healthy, free of any decay, and that there’s no gum disease. A quick screening or checkup at our multi-specialty dental practice is all you need before starting a professional tooth whitening regimen.
The reason you want to make sure there aren’t any problems with your teeth or gums is because the bleaching products can cause irritation if there’s an open cavity or infection.
If you’re considering a smile makeover but aren’t sure where to start, we recommend starting off with a whitening treatment. Brighter teeth can help boost your self-esteem, help your smile look younger, and give you the confidence you need to make a great first impression.
Get a whiter, brighter, younger looking smile today. Call Sachem Dental Group in Suffolk County to schedule your next visit.