What to Expect Before, During, and After Your Professional Teeth Whitening
Considering a professional teeth whitening treatment?
Your smile helps you make a great first impression and is a vital part of expressing yourself. But, perhaps more importantly, your smile impacts how you look at yourself, both externally as well as internally. When you love your smile, your self-confidence experiences a boost, and you are far more likely to smile in public, which is good for you and anyone you might encounter.
Unfortunately, however, many of us don’t have the bright white smile that we desire. When this is the case, professional teeth whitening can help us renew our smile and regain the self-confidence we might have lost when hiding our smile. Professional teeth whitening helps to eliminate the stains that build up on our teeth over time and can brighten our smiles in just one office visit. So if you are considering a professional teeth whitening treatment, you are probably wondering what to expect before, during, and after the teeth whitening procedure.
What to expect before your procedure.
It’s essential to prepare for your teeth whitening treatment in Wasilla, AK. Though the treatment is pretty straightforward, patients who take these few steps before their treatment tend to have a better overall experience.
- Get your teeth cleaned: If you haven’t been to the dentist in six months or more, be sure to schedule a checkup and get your teeth cleaned before your teeth whitening appointment. Your teeth will see better results if they are as clean as possible beforehand.
- Adopt a good oral health routine: The best way to take care of your oral health and keep those teeth shiny and white is to brush twice a day, floss once a day, and rinse after brushing with a fluoridated mouthwash. So if you skip out on this here or there, now is the time to buckle down and adopt these best practices.
- Consider your crowns and veneers: As crowns and veneers are not natural, they will not adopt the exact color you will see after your teeth whitening. Be sure to have a consultation with your dentist to discuss how to keep your natural teeth, crowns, and veneers the same color. The last thing you will want is an oddly yellow crown that was matched to the old color of your teeth standing out against those newly whitened teeth.
What to expect the day of your teeth whitening treatment.
So, today’s the day. You’re probably excited and a bit nervous about your upcoming procedure. Thankfully, there is nothing to be anxious about. We’ll start by placing gauze in your mouth to keep it dry. We’ll then use retractors to allow you to relax your jaw during the treatment so that we can apply the whitening gel. We’ll also paint a protective barrier on your gums before we use the whitening gel.
We use a special light to activate the gel, resulting in faster and stronger results. You can relax and listen to music during the procedure, read a book, or take a short nap. You may feel a bit of a tingle or a warm sensation from the light, but this is painless and should be expected.
After your treatment concludes, we’ll rinse your teeth, and you’ll be able to flash your smile in the mirror. Just wait until you see the results!
What to expect after your treatment.
Once you get home from your professional teeth whitening treatment with the best cosmetic dentist in Wasilla, AK, you’ll be excited to flash your improved smile to family and friends. This is highly encouraged! But aside from enjoying your new smile, there are a few other things that you’ll need to do to make sure that you’ll be enjoying and sharing your whitened smile for a long time to come. The best thing you can do to keep your whitened teeth white is to adopt a solid oral health regimen:
- Brush your teeth twice per day, especially after meals when possible.
- Floss your teeth once per day.
- Rinse your mouth with a fluoridated mouthwash after brushing and flossing.
- Avoid or limit the consumption of foods and beverages that might cause staining, such as fruit juices, dark berries, tea, coffee, dark-colored sodas, dark chocolate, and acidic fruits such as lemons and oranges.
- Avoid the use of any tobacco products.
You will also want to avoid foods that may stain your teeth for the first 48 hours after your professional teeth whitening treatment. If you feel you need a caffeine boost or taste of coffee or dark-colored soda, drink through a straw instead of sipping from a can, bottle, or mug. Using a straw lessens the contact the liquid has with your teeth. Finally, schedule a touch-up treatment with one of our dentists at Valley Dental Clinic. These touch-ups should occur once or twice per year and can help your teeth stay white for the long term.
Schedule your professional tooth whitening treatment with Valley Dental Clinic in Wasilla, AK.
If professional teeth whitening sounds like it is for you, don’t hesitate to request an appointment with the best cosmetic dentist in Wasilla, AK. There are so many occasions in life where you will want whiter teeth, so why miss any more? We can’t wait to see you and help you experience a whiter and brighter smile.