Typically, 90 minutes.

You can take ibuprofen prior to the appointment to decrease sensitivity or if you’re prone to sensitivity, you can also start using sensitivity toothpaste 1-2 weeks prior to your appointment.

We use the air polisher to remove any external stain. Yellowing of teeth comes from both internal and external stain. The whitening gel penetrates the outer layer of the tooth structure and oxidizes staining molecules in the interior layers of the tooth to make your teeth whiter. The higher concentration of gel, the more oxidation occurs.

Some staining is much harder to remove than others. For example, smoking and tetracycling staining are usually the hardest to remove. Your doctor will consult with you to see if additional procedures are needed to get you to your desired shade.

Unfortunately, whitening only works on natural tooth structure so crowns, veneers, and fillings do not whiten.

Most people have sensitivity after the whitening procedure. We typically see it last 12-16 hours post-procedure. Using a combination of ibuprofen and sensitivity toothpaste helps relieve the sensitivity.

We always tell our patients that whitening is like working out. You can work out really hard one time, but unless you consistently go to the gym, you won’t see results. In-office whitening is a great way to get a boost to your desired tooth shade but at-home custom whitening trays are the best to maintain your desired whitening level. The absolute best way to whiten is to get the in-office whitening procedure once a year coupled with using at-home custom whitening trays every couple of months.

Our doctors have spent 10 years perfecting the right algorithm to get whiter teeth. Part of this is understanding newer modalities of treatment to effectively remove external staining in combination with the highest quality in-office whitening solutions. We’ve tried all the best products out there and have found the ones that work most effectively.