Oklahoma City Tooth Whitening

For patients in the Oklahoma City area, Dr. Michael Forth offers two options for professional tooth whitening. You can either choose a two-hour Zoom Whitening visit, or a take-home prescription-strength whitening gel and trays for wearing overnight. Many of our clients are amazed at how much difference a simple tooth whitening procedure can make to their smile and to their overall appearance. Few things do more to add the appearance of age than dingy, yellow teeth. Fortunately, getting whiter teeth has never been easier or more simple than it is now.

Tooth whitening options

Many of our clients prefer the single-visit Zoom Whitening procedure. Using the Zoom system, clients come in and have a special, extra-strength peroxide gel applied to their teeth. Then, a patented, ultraviolet light is used to activate the gel and speed the bleaching process. At the end of the visit, the client gets to go home with dramatically whiter teeth - up to 10 shades whiter than when they came in. Learn more about Zoom Whitening.

Tooth Whitening Before and After

The other option is to have Dr. Michael Forth design customized treatment trays that are used in combination with a professional-strength peroxide gel to more gradually whiten the teeth at home. This option takes longer, but clients can still see dramatically whiter teeth if they are consistent and wear the trays as instructed.

Important facts about tooth whitening

Before undergoing any tooth whitening procedure, it is important to understand how this process works and what is actually occurring. The most significant staining and discoloration a person sees on his or her teeth is from deep stains on the actual dentin of the teeth. The dentin is the layer below the outer layer of enamel. To effectively remove these stains, which accumulate and darken over time, a strong peroxide gel must be applied to all surface areas of the teeth and then left on long enough to penetrate the enamel and reach the stains on the dentin.

Then, in much the same way that peroxide oxidizes and removes stains on clothing and furniture, this peroxide gel will remove the stains on the dentin.

Professional tooth whitening procedures are vastly superior to commercially available over-the-counter whitening products in two main ways:

  1. The strength of the gel. The gel that is used by dental offices is much stronger than the gel that is available over the counter in pharmacies and department stores. Thus, it is much more effective in removing significant staining in a shorter period of time. It is possible to get whiter teeth by using some OTC products but these must be used very consistently for very long periods of time to see any meaningful result. And, when you compare the cost of purchasing the OTC products with the cost of the professional whitening to achieve the same result, the professional whitening is often cheaper and faster.
  2. Contact with the dentin. Again, in order for the gel to work, it must be applied to the tooth and then left on long enough to penetrate the enamel. Commercially available trays are not customized to an individual client's mouth the way that professionally designed trays are. This means there will be significant gaps where the gel may not meet the tooth enamel. Poor fit also means the trays are uncomfortable and difficult to wear for the necessary amount of time.

A word about 'whitening' toothpastes

These are really addressing a separate problem from permanently stained or yellow teeth. Toothpastes containing peroxide will help bleach and brighten the surface enamel of a person's teeth. But, because they are only in contact with the teeth for a minute or two, they will not penetrate through the enamel to reach the dentin and permanently whiten the teeth. They are useful for eliminating surface stains.

If you are unhappy with the whiteness of your teeth, call our office for an appointment today. Or, use use our online form to request an appointment. Whether you choose the take-home procedure or our two-hour Zoom Whitening visit, you can have a beautiful smile that will make you look years younger.

 

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