For teeth whitening Putnam, CT residents trust, Drs. Carolyn and Walter McGinn offer pateints who wish to brighten their smiles two simple, convenient at-home teeth whitening options: crest white strips and custom, at-home whitening trays. While these whitening options are available in over the counter versions, working with the Drs. McGinn, patients are fully educated and able to choose the whitening option that works for them. To find out more, we recommend scheduling a teeth whitening consultation. Our dentistry team will examine your teeth, and determine the cause and severity of your dental discoloration. Then, our dentists make recommendations for optimal results. Call your Putnam, CT dentists to find out more today.
Store Bought VS Custom Trays for Teeth Whitening Putnam CT Relies On
Since the early 1990s, patients have relied on whitening trays to provide a high quality, low dental sensitivity whitening option. While the Drs. McGinn agree that whitening trays are an excellent option, we recommend our patients visit us to receive custom application trays as they provide superior results. Here’s how tray whitening works:
- Staining foods and drinks, aging, and certain medications stain dental enamel
- Overtime, these stains absorb into the dentin layer where they can no longer be removed during daily brushing
- Carbamide or hydrogen peroxide can penetrate the enamel and remove most deep-set stains, but saliva can neutralize the peroxide making it an ineffective whitening agent
- Peroxide can also damage soft-tissue
- Whitening trays lock the whitening peroxide to the teeth protecting soft-tissue and deflecting saliva
Custom whitening trays offer superior results because they fit snuggly over teeth keeping the whitening gel where it belongs. Stock whitening trays are often much less comfortable as they are crafted to accommodate all sizes and shapes of dentition. Additionally, the bulky size allows whitening gel to seep out irritating soft-tissue, and saliva to seep in making the whitening agent less effective. Typically, patients see superior results after wearing the more comfortable custom application trays for shorter amounts of time. For instance it may take 4 weeks of wearing over the counter whitening trays for an hour at a time (or overnight in some cases) to see the same effects as wearing custom whitening trays for half an hour over the course of two weeks.
Whitening Strips VS Trays
Our practice recommends Crest white strips for patients who need minimal, surface-level stain removal, or who wish to touch up past whitening results. Whitening strips adhere to teeth transferring whitening gel seamlessly. Patients are able to comfortably speak and sip water as their teeth whiten, and the strips stay firmly in place. Crest white strips can be purchased at your local drug store, but please talk to us during your next visit so we can help you determine whether whitening strips will effectively remove your stains.
Call Your Putnam Dentist
Our Putnam, CT dentists look forward to helping you get the whiter, brighter smile you desire. Call today to schedule a teeth whitening consultation or to find out more about our outstanding dental services. We look forward to putting a smile on your face soon.