Are you spending a bit more time brushing your teeth to try to get rid of stains? They can happen from a few different things, like dark-colored drinks, but even as you age. Using your toothbrush alone might not be enough, so heading to your dentist can be your best option. Many people wonder how many treatments of professional teeth whitening they need before they can have the pearly whites they want. Continue reading to learn more about what you can expect.
How Does My Dentist Whiten My Teeth?
There are two main methods that your dentist uses to brighten your smile: in-office treatment or a take-home kit. Both use a high-quality bleaching gel that targets dark particles on and within your teeth.
An in-house visit involves your dentist putting a whitener on your teeth and shining a special light on it. Your dentist will take the steps to protect your gums and grin, so you can leave without any sensitivity. Generally, it takes about an hour-long visit to get noticeable results that are six to eight shades brighter.
If you want a more convenient option, then you can get a take-home kit from your dentist. These use professional-grade gel-infused trays that you wear for a few hours every day. In just about two weeks, you can get similar results!
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
The exact number of sessions you need to get the results you love depends on your goals and the severity of discoloration on your teeth. Minor staining can be fixed with just one in-office session or multiple days using the professional kits. If you have deeper staining, then you may need to come back to your dentist a couple of times to get the goals you want.
Why Is Professional Teeth Whitening My Best Option?
You may be tempted to skip your dental office to head to your local store and pick up a whitening product on the shelves. However, this may not be the best option for you or your smile. These store-bought kits use a much weaker bleaching agent that may only give you results that are one or two shades brighter. Not only that, but you increase your risk of irritating your gums since these products are made to be one-size-fits-all, despite everyone having different grins.
Consistently using them can weaken your enamel and lead you to tooth sensitivity, while your dentist will ensure that you don’t experience any adverse effects. They want you to enjoy your new smile after all, and not be in discomfort when showing it off!
A safe and reliable way to brighten your teeth is with a professional teeth whitening treatment. Your dentist will tailor a treatment plan to your goals and let you know how many sessions it will take to get to them. At the end of your service, you can have a set of pearly whites that you can’t wait to flash.
About the Practice
Dr. Ryan Bygness earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. He knows how stained teeth can leave you feeling self-conscious, so he is proud to offer professional teeth whitening treatments. Dr. Bygness will take the time to learn about the results you want to achieve and come up with a safe plan to get to it. If you have dental discoloration you want to fix, schedule an appointment or call us at (712) 263-3252.