Your Ajax Invisalign® Provider
At Pickering Village Dental, our dentists offer both in-office and take-home teeth whitening options to help our Ajax patients brighten their smiles.
What is Teeth Whitening?
If you're looking for a safe and effective method to remove stains and lighten the colour of your teeth, you may want to consider professional teeth whitening at your dentist's office.
As we age, our teeth start to become more susceptible to staining from food and other substances.
Bleaching agents used during the teeth whitening process are designed to reverse the effects of staining and aging, lightening the colour of your teeth.
How Teeth Whitening Works
Peroxide-based bleaching agents in teeth whitening solutions work to lighten the colour of your teeth. As the active ingredient breaks down, oxygen acts on the tooth enamel, creating the whitening effect.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
In about two hours at our dental clinic, you can have your teeth professionally whitened.
To begin, your dentist will put a barrier around your gums to protect them, then apply a thin layer of gel, which will chemically activate on each tooth.
This process is repeated a few times until we achieve the desired shade of white.
Take-Home Teeth Whitening
We offer at-home teeth whitening options at Pickering Village Dental, so you can whiten your teeth in the comfort and convenience of your home.
Custom whitening trays will be created to fit your smile precisely, and your dentist will provide you with thorough at-home instructions to follow during your course of treatment.
Teeth Whitening FAQs
Read the answers to our most frequently asked questions about teeth whitening at Pickering Village Dental.
- How long do the effects of teeth whitening last?
Teeth whitening is a temporary solution to whiten your smile. If your teeth are still exposed to foods that cause staining, you will likely begin to see the whiteness fade after a few months.
If you avoid foods and drinks likely to stain your teeth following your teeth whitening treatment, you may just require a touchup after a year or so.
- Does teeth whitening make teeth more sensitive?
You may feel some sensitivity as a short-term side effect after whitening your teeth. For most patients, this fades away within a few days after a whitening session.
To minimize any discomfort, we recommend using an anti-sensitivity toothpaste before treatment and for at least two weeks following your treatment.
- Do teeth whitening products work on all stains?
We find that yellow and brown-coloured stains respond best to teeth whitening treatments, while grey, blue and purple-coloured stains tend not to respond to whitening at all. If your teeth have these types of stains, cosmetic treatments such as dental veneers or crowns may be a better fit for you.
- Does teeth whitening work on dental restorations?
No, teeth whitening only works for natural teeth. It does not work on existing dental restorations such as dental veneers or crowns.
If veneers or crowns are part of your treatment plan, teeth whitening should take place before you receive your dental restorations.
- Will teeth whitening damage my tooth enamel?
If a qualified dentist supervises the teeth whitening process, it's very unlikely that whitening will damage your tooth enamel.
Always consult with your dentist to ensure that you are using any teeth whitening products safely.
- Does insurance cover the cost of teeth whitening?
The cost of teeth whitening is not typically covered by dental insurance because it is a purely cosmetic procedure with no health benefits for your teeth.