Almost anyone is a candidate for teeth whitening in Mesa, Arizona! To begin, we will schedule you for a regular cleaning and examination. This allows us to make sure you don’t have any immediate issues that need to be addressed prior to treatment. Then, an impression of your teeth will be taken so a customized set of bleaching trays can be made just for you. Your bleaching trays will fit snugly yet comfortably over your teeth.

When your trays are ready, we will send you home with a supply of Natural Elegance bleaching agent. Containing peroxide, this agent soaks deep into your tooth enamel to release oxygen and removes years of stains. Simply pop the trays in for a short period of time every day for approximately two weeks. You can keep up this pattern for as long as you want, until the desired level of whiteness is achieved.

If you are interested in learning more about how our team at Desert Family Dental utilizes teeth whitening for your benefit, please contact our office and schedule an appointment with our dentists today. We look forward to enhancing your smile!

Most people consider an attractive smile to be an attribute of good looking, healthy, successful individuals. This is why teeth whitening has become one of our most sought after treatments. Everyone wants to look good and be thought of as a success! Professional teeth whitening can lighten your teeth and remove discoloration and stains. Perhaps best of all, it can be done in the comfort of your own home. Within just a couple of weeks, your teeth will be several shades brighter.

The color of your teeth is determined by the reflection of light off of the surface enamel and underlying dentin. Because dentin is more of a yellowish color, people with thinner enamel may notice discoloration from the dentin showing through. If the enamel on your teeth has abrasions from brushing too hard or is smoother than normal, it will reflect light differently and may appear to be discolored as well.

There are two types of dental stains, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic stains emanate from inside the tooth and are caused by issues such as trauma, heredity, or excessive fluoride consumption during childhood. Internal tooth stains may also be caused by the antibiotic tetracycline, whether taken as a child, or by your mother while you were in the womb.

Extrinsic stains discolor the outside of the tooth – the enamel. These topical stains are a natural side effect of aging, but are mainly caused by elements that we introduce to our teeth. Tobacco may be the biggest cause of extrinsic stains. There are two staining agents in tobacco that affect our teeth, tar and nicotine. Tar is naturally dark in color, while nicotine is naturally clear. However, when mixed with oxygen, nicotine turns yellow. Whether you smoke it or chew it, tobacco can darken your teeth by several shades. There are plenty of foods and beverages whose pigments contribute to stained teeth, as well. Dark colored drinks like coffee, colas, and red wine, and foods like carrots, tomatoes, and blueberries, can stain your teeth. Another culprit is tannin. Naturally-occurring tannins are found in plants, red wine, black teas, berries, and chocolate. Tannin sticks to teeth and causes discoloration.

Over-the-counter whitening toothpastes, strips, mouth washes, and trays are available for purchase at your local pharmacy or grocery store. These treatments work for removing some surface stains, but they are not as effective as the treatment offered by Dr. Gibbons and Dr. Lee. As dentists, they offer prescription-strength teeth whitening treatments unavailable at pharmacies.

Dr. Gibbons and Dr. Lee use the Natural Elegance whitening system. The first step of the process is to visit our comfortable office for a regular cleaning and examination, to ensure there are no immediate issues that need to be addressed before you begin whitening. After your exam, the doctor will make impressions of your teeth and create custom-fitted trays that sit comfortably and snugly over your teeth. When your trays are ready, you will be sent home with a supply of the Natural Elegance bleaching agent. This special formula contains peroxide that is absorbed into the enamel, where it releases oxygen that breaks up the chemical bond of the stains. After wearing the tray for a short time each day, for approximately two week, you will see a noticeable difference in the whiteness of your teeth. You may continue using the trays until you reach the level of whiteness you desire. Keep them for future home treatments, as well.

If you have stained or discolored teeth and are interested in the whitening process, call our Mesa, AZ dental office at (480) 485-7747 and request a consultation with Dr. Gibbons or Dr. Lee and get started on the road to a whiter, brighter smile.