Teeth Whitening: What are my Options?

“Hi, Dr. Bobbi Stanley here at Stanley Dentistry. Have you thought about whitening, but you’re a little bit confused about your options? Well, let me tell you a little bit about your professional options here at Stanley Dentistry.

There are three types of whitening options here.  There’s a take-home tray you can use at home to whiten your teeth.  There’s an in-office whitening that’s fairly popular and quick. And there’s one that’s a really deep, powerful whitening.

The take-home whitening is simple. You have a little tray, you put whitening solution in, and you put it in your mouth — daytime or nighttime. You wear it for a short while, your teeth whiten. Oftentimes, patients want more than that and they want it faster. So, in one short hour, we can do Zoom! Whitening here in the office, in the chair, and we can get you a bright, white smile. Then you just need to do touch-ups at home from time to time.

But, if you want a powerful, deep whitening, you need KöR whitening. For whitening is the newest version of whitening that helps to whiten deeper and to get the teeth that are really challenging to whiten. It’s really simple. It’s an in-office and at-home technique. So, if you’re considering whitening, please come to see us today at Stanley Dentistry so we can talk about your options.”

Can I afford whitening?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions we hear in regards to in-office whitening. Any kind of effective whitening treatment (even those you can buy at the supermarket) unfortunately isn’t going to be particularly cheap. The more important question to ask is how white do you want your smile to be and for how long. The whitening products you can buy at the store are the weakest when it comes to their ability to whiten stained teeth. Many of them are also difficult to use and can give people only temporary results. While there are people who swear by whitening strips and whitening toothpaste, we’ve seen many more who are disappointed by the lackluster results. If store-bought whitening kits just aren’t doing the trick, in-office whitening is the answer.

Our take-home whitening is the weakest and least expensive option. It’s stronger than what you can get in a store but it’s not as strong as our two in-office treatments: Zoom! and KöR. Zoom! is more budget-friendly than KöR but it isn’t quite as strong. KöR is the most expensive and most powerful option. It’s for people who have deep-rooted staining that other whitening methods cannot remove.

As with everything in our office, you can finance your whitening treatments. You can learn more about our financing options here.

Is dental whitening painful?

Another common question we hear with whitening patients is “does it hurt?” Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward answer to that question. For many people, Zoom! and KöR whitening treatments are 100% pain-free. For others (particularly those who have sensitive teeth), the in-office portion of the whitening can be a little uncomfortable, both during and after treatment. Some patients report feeling “zingers” — sporadic bolts of pain in their teeth — for a few weeks or months post-whitening.

If you have very sensitive teeth, I would recommend trying some store-bought options first before venturing to in-office whitening treatments. Store-bought whitening options aren’t as strong as in-office treatments and will not cause as much discomfort.

How long does whitening take?

We ask that all of our whitening patients first come in for a complimentary consultation to go over the different options and see which one would work best for them. After that consultation, they can get started on their treatment. Zoom! is a series of twenty-minute whitening sessions. Most patients are in and out within a couple of hours. KöR uses both in and out of office methods so the process does take a little longer. If you want to get whitening done for a big event, make sure to get into our office for a consultation as soon as you can so we can set up your treatment appointment(s)!

Scheduling is easy

Live in the Cary, North Carolina area and want to try professional, in-office whitening? Give us a call at (919) 460-9665 to set up your first appointment. We’ll see you soon!