Teeth Whitening

A beautiful smile starts with clean, white teeth. A bright smile is shown to have a strong impact on self-esteem and how others perceive you. Unfortunately, many people do not have the dental habits that help promote a brighter, whiter smile. There are also those whose teeth are not as naturally white as others, and will darken with age. Furthermore, certain foods (especially tea, red wine, and coffee) and the use of tobacco products can yellow and darken the teeth. Hutto Premier Dentistry offers different teeth whitening services in order to ensure that patients are comfortable with their image.

Before you have any teeth whitening procedures done, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. First, the color of your skin and make-up can affect the appearance of your teeth. Darker tones will make teeth look naturally brighter. If you have white teeth, the use of darker lipsticks and other cosmetics can enhance the appearance of your teeth and give the appearance of a brighter smile. Alternatively, the use of pale lipsticks and make-up can make your teeth appear darker.

The first step to helping you achieve a brighter, whiter smile is to obtain a thorough dental evaluation. This allows us diagnose and treat problems such as tooth decay and gum disease that may discolor teeth. Once a healthy mouth is achieved, the results of teeth whitening can be maximized. While there are various over-the-counter teeth whitening products available, these products achieve a modest improvement at most; to go beyond this takes professional treatment.

The most common type of professional teeth whitening is to use a custom-made bleaching tray. A bleaching solution is placed in the tray and then worn on your teeth at night. This type of bleaching may take up to 2-3 weeks to achieve the maximum result. Another type of teeth whitening used at Hutto Premier Dentistry is an in-office procedure. In-office whitening procedures are done in our office and typically take about an hour. This technique can produce a drastic improvement in just one hour. For some patients, both approaches are used to achieve the best result. A visit with Dr. McEntire or Dr. Marek of Hutto Premier Dentistry can help to determine the best approach for helping you obtain a whiter, brighter smile.