What is professional teeth whitening?
Professional teeth whitening uses high-grade whitening solutions and gels to remove deep stains from your teeth. Unlike over-the-counter (OTC) whitening toothpaste, strips, and mouth rinses, professional products penetrate the deepest layers of your teeth. This brings about dramatic results that you can see right away.
OTC whitening products are typically effective at removing extrinsic stains. However, they can’t penetrate deep enough to get rid of or reduce intrinsic stains, those that reach down to the middle layer (the dentin) of your tooth.
Extrinsic stains
Extrinsic stains affect the surface layer of your teeth, on the outside of your tooth enamel. While removing extrinsic stains does brighten your teeth, it doesn’t eliminate the deeper stains that develop with age.
Intrinsic stains
Intrinsic stains affect the layers of your teeth beneath your tooth enamel. They typically develop over several years and are difficult to remove with OTC products. Because professional teeth whitening can remove intrinsic stains, they produce more dramatic results than OTC whitening systems.
Why would I need teeth whitening?
Teeth whitening brightens your smile if you have a buildup of stains on your teeth. Yellowing teeth are common as you get older. Some of the common culprits of tooth stains are out of your control, while others are connected to your diet and lifestyle.
The most common things that discolor teeth include:
- Coffee and tea
- Red wine
- Soy sauce
- Dark berries
- Sugary sodas
- Certain medications
- Chemotherapy and radiation
- Tobacco use
- Genetics
- Age
How white your teeth are depends on the thickness of your tooth enamel. Some patients are born with naturally thick enamel that keeps their teeth white and bright, while others are not. Your tooth enamel naturally thins with age, which is why your teeth darken as you get older.
How does the KöR Whitening system work?
KöR Whitening steers clear of lasers and lights to activate its peroxide-based whitening gel. Instead, it uses highly effective trays.
One reason many whitening solutions don’t deliver the dramatic results they promise is saliva contamination. Saliva can disrupt the whitening solution once it’s applied to your teeth, making it less effective at removing stains.
KöR Seal™ trays are designed to seal out saliva and other fluids in your mouth while they whiten your teeth. This means that the KöR Whitening gel can continue removing stains from your teeth for several hours without needing to be activated by a light or laser.
The treatment is as gentle as it is effective, especially for those people who have sensitive teeth and gums.
To find out if KöR Whitening is right for you, call Artaza Dental today or request an appointment online.
