Creating and maintaining a smile you love to share is easier than ever today, especially when it comes to professional teeth whitening. New technology and techniques provide quicker, safer, and better ways to achieve that brighter smile, all while protecting and, in some cases, improving your oral health.

While you still have the option of trying over-the-counter methods, professional teeth whitening offers more benefits than ever. If you’re wondering what those benefits are, here are the top 10.

1. Lightens and Dissolves Staining

Your teeth may become stained for a number of reasons, including the foods and beverages you consume, like red wine, berries, or coffee. Another cause is attributed to inconsistent dental hygiene habits, such as improper or limited brushing.

A professional whitening can target these stains directly and will lighten and dissolve them, so they no longer show when you smile.

2. Eliminates Discoloration

Even if you do everything right, including brushing twice a day and flossing, your teeth may appear yellow. This yellowing of the teeth is natural and occurs with age as tooth enamel thins out, exposing the dentin layer below. Diet and tobacco can also cause the excessive yellowing.

With the help of professional whitening, this deeper discoloration can be eliminated or removed, and you can smile once again with confidence. Such treatments focus not just on the outer tooth enamel but can reach the dentin layer underneath.

3. Provides for Individualized Treatments

Everyone’s teeth are different and unique. Circumstances surrounding the discoloration and desire for teeth whitening also can differ. For these reasons, patients need an individualized treatment plan to achieve their personal goals.

Professional whitening lets you pick your shade, foregoing the perfect whiteness of models and creating a smile more your own. Your dentist oversees the process and ensures the coloring is closer to what you want and blends well with your own complexion. Your smile can be as bright or as subtle as you choose.

You also may not need full coverage since only certain areas show when you smile, or only a few teeth are darker shades than the rest. A customized treatment, then, is the way to go.

4. Takes Less Time to Receive the Results You Want

Professional teeth whitening takes considerably less time to achieve results. With the help of your dentist, you’ll see a lighter and brighter smile quickly. You can even notice the difference after just one treatment in many instances.

Over-the-counter methods can take months to achieve the whiteness you want, and even then, you may only receive minimal results.

One way to achieve the faster results is with the GLO™ procedure, which only takes five days to take your teeth up to five shades lighter. The treatment involves the use of an LED light and heat to effectively whiten your teeth faster. All it takes is an initial one-hour visit with Dr. Bateson to begin the process. From there, you’ll continue treatments at home as directed.

5. Provides Higher Safety for Teeth and Gums

Under the direction of a dental professional, teeth whitening is going to be safer and healthier for your teeth and surrounding gums.

Prior to beginning the treatment, your dentist will determine any dental health concerns, such as exposed tooth roots or cracked fillings that can be affected by the bleaching agent. Also, if you experience any sensitivity or other dental issues during the treatment, your dentist can halt or readjust it to fit your needs.

Not so with over-the-counter whitening kits. For instance, the trays that come in these kits may not fit properly, resulting in leaks of the whitening fluid, which can cause gum irritation. The bleaching fluid or gel itself may also cause tooth sensitivity.

6. Offers Convenience

No longer do you have to take time out of your day to apply whitening strips to teeth to achieve results or wear ill-fitting trays for weeks and weeks, hoping for that improved smile.

Professional whitening treatments are convenient in that you spend an hour in the dentist’s chair. You may need to follow up with wearing trays at home for a few days to a week afterward, but this is much easier than expecting slow results over months with less reliable options.

At Bateson Dentistry, we understand that many patients prefer the convenience of at-home professional treatments. For this reason, we offer KoR® as another option.

KoR® provides you with a full kit of trays and refrigerated gels, and the process is completed in your own home. You choose whether to wear the trays at night or during the day, making it as convenient as possible for you. You also don’t have to wear these for weeks and months like with over-the-counter kits.

7. Uses Professional Strength Whitening Gels

Professional whitening requires oversight by your dentist and involves the use of professional-grade bleaching agents. These whitening gels are more effective and faster at removing stubborn stains that are hard to cover up or lighten.

The majority of over-the-counter whitening treatments provide a lesser strength bleaching agent that can only take your teeth up one or two shades lighter. Professional-grade bleaching agents can go beyond that, even reaching up to ten times lighter in many patients.

8. Creates More Even Results

Uneven whitening often occurs with over-the-counter treatments and ill-fitting mouth trays. Since these kits are for anyone and everyone, offering a one-size-fits-all solution, you are usually unable to adjust the amount of bleaching agent getting to each area. As a result, you can have mismatched or unbalanced whitening when certain teeth are darker than others.

With professional teeth whitening, custom-made trays ensure a better spreading out of the bleaching agent and more even results. You’ll achieve thorough results in those areas that need more bleaching while also whitening the less discolored teeth to match.

9. Achieves Longer Lasting Results

The results of your professional teeth whitening will last longer than with store-bought kits. The use of stronger, professional-grade whitening agents creates results that won’t fade quickly.

Your dentist might provide you with a way to do follow-ups or touch-ups as needed to maintain your new smile. You can also help by avoiding those stain-causing food and beverages. If you do consume them, always remember to brush right afterward to lessen the chances of staining.

In addition, if you choose the GLO™ treatment, at the completion of the five-day whitening procedure, you’ll receive a device for maintaining that brighter smile which comes with a 2-year warranty.

10. Boosts Your Oral Health

All professional teeth whitening treatments begin with an oral health assessment. Any issues found, such as loose or cracked fillings, will be addressed. However, that’s not the only way these professional treatments can boost your oral health.

With professional removal of stains, the strength and health of your teeth improve, and the less likely you will suffer cavities and even gum disease due to plaque accumulation. This is important because the plaque, that sticky coating that can cover teeth, is where harmful bacteria breeds and damages your teeth and gums if not timely removed.

Many of the whitening agents in professional treatments will kill any accumulated bacteria and lower the risk for developing cavities and gum disease while also enhancing your smile.

Find Out How to Brighten Your Smile by Contacting Bateson Dentistry Today

Ready to Smile with Confidence? Contact Bateson Dentistry today to find out which professional teeth whitening solution is for you. We will explain each option and walk you through the process to achieve that beautiful smile. Call today and schedule a consultation or appointment.