Tooth whitening

Anyone can buy over-the-ounter whitening products that improve the flat surface of the tooth, but for more thorough results there are home whitening kits and laser bleaching. With whitening kits, patients wear custom-made trays filled with a carbamide peroxide get every night for 10 to 14 days. Dentists handle tooth sensitivity by adjusting the concentration of the get solution. Results can be touched up when needed, usually every six to eight months, or before special events. "when you bleach teeth, old dental work may look dark," says Dr James McKenzie of the whistler Dental Office, B.C bleaching won't harm veneers or crowns but it won't bleach bonding either. When scheduling cosmetic dentistry work, bleach first so you can match the work to the new colour.

Laser bleaching is an in-office procedure where different concentration of laser light helps activate the brushed-on bleaching solution. The light is applied in a cycle lasting from one to two hours, and "teeth can lighten up to ten shades," says McKenzie. Touch-ups are done with your own custom at-home bleaching trays. This instant results costs about three times as much as gel bleaching.