Teeth Whitening
No matter how well you care for your teeth, some discoloration is inevitable over time. Substances such as coffee and tea, certain medications, excessive fluoride, deterioration of the tooth’s nerve, and the aging process can gradually tarnish teeth and detract from a person’s appearance. Fortunately, there is a quick and easy solution available at Aesthetic Smiles of New Jersey: teeth whitening. We provide in-office and at-home teeth whitening treatments as a simple way to improve your smile dramatically. Whether performed alone or in conjunction with other cosmetic dentistry treatments to produce a total smile makeover, teeth whitening can give you a more vibrant, younger-looking smile.
What are the benefits of teeth whitening?
Teeth whitening at Aesthetic Smiles of New Jersey can take your smile to new heights by stripping away years of enamel discoloration and restoring the appearance of whiter, brighter teeth. Professional teeth whitening can offer patients:
- Results that are almost immediately apparent
- At-home or in-office whitening options undertaken at your own convenience
- Treatment personalized for your unique needs
- Lightening of enamel by several shades at once
- Timely in-office treatment that only lasts an hour or so
Many patients consider teeth whitening to be a simple way to refresh their smile before events and special occasions, as results are typically noticeable fairly soon after treatment. During a consultation, our dentists can formulate the most ideal whitening plan for your needs, preferences, and aesthetic goals.
Over-The-Counter vs. Professional Teeth Whitening
While there are a number of teeth whitening options—both natural remedies and over-the-counter products—sold in stores that claim to lighten the shade of teeth, these treatments often lack the bleaching agents necessary to produce a noticeable, powerful change. Most over-the-counter whitening solutions, such as rinses and whitestrips, simply remove food and debris from the surface of the teeth, failing to penetrate the deeper layers of enamel where years of discoloration typically reside. In turn, the outcome achieved with store-bought products can be limited, or require months of repeated use to yield a distinct change. Similarly, more recent trends in charcoal teeth whitening and coconut oil teeth whitening generally do not have the effectiveness, or immediacy in results, as professional treatment. Generally speaking, the best way to ensure you are receiving the highest quality of teeth whitening possible is to pursue a personalized regimen from an experienced cosmetic dentist who can assess your unique needs. Our practice offers both at-home and in-office treatments so you can lighten your teeth at your leisure and convenience.
What are my teeth whitening treatment options?
At-home Teeth Whitening
We have found that at-home, dentist-supervised teeth whitening is the most popular choice among our patients. The at-home bleaching method begins with a visit to our office, where you will be fitted for your teeth whitening trays. During this visit, either Dr. Ed Romano, Dr. Robert Bizzarro, or Dr. Kathleen Dunn—our cosmetic dentists—will take a mold of your teeth and mouth, from which they will create a comfortable, custom mouth tray. To bleach the teeth, you will fill the trays with the teeth whitening gel – a gentle yet effective solution containing hydrogen peroxide, which bleaches stains on the teeth. You will wear the trays either overnight or in two- to four-hour stretches throughout the day. The former approach usually takes about one to two weeks, and the latter about three to five weeks.
For optimal treatment undertaken at your convenience, Drs. Romano, Bizzarro, and Dunn offer our “Forever White” at-home bleaching program to individuals who make regular re-care appointments every six months. This program provides free refills on bleaching trays to loyal patients of the practice, as long as they return for semi-annual hygiene visits. After an initial cost of $99, patients can enjoy indefinite bleach refills at no cost with the Forever White program. Please don’t hesitate to contact our team or inquire with one of our doctors if you have any questions.
In-office Teeth Whitening
In-office teeth whitening, the alternative to at-home whitening, is performed here at our Morristown practice. Using a professional-grade teeth whitening solution, one of our dentists will carefully apply the bleach to the enamel to create the desired tooth shade while minimizing irritation to the surrounding gum tissue. The treatment usually takes about an hour to complete, so you can leave our office after just one visit with a dazzling new smile. Although in-office teeth whitening can be more expensive than take-home trays, patients who choose this method enjoy the convenience of a single-visit treatment that has the added bonus of requiring no trays. The results of in-office bleaching may not be as long-lasting as those produced by at-home methods, so subsequent treatments may eventually be necessary.
If you would like to learn more about teeth whitening, contact Aesthetic Smiles of New Jersey. We can schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss which option—at-home or in-office whitening—will best suit your needs.
What is the best teeth whitening option for me?
Drs. Romano, Bizzarro, and Dunn understand that our patients have a diverse range of needs, and you may be wondering which treatment option is the most ideal whitening solution for your unique lifestyle. Upon a consultation, our cosmetic dentists will work with you to develop a custom-designed treatment plan that can achieve your aesthetic goals while accommodating your unique sensitivity levels and preferences in frequency of whitening. This is typically the most effective approach to attain the desired final outcome while ensuring treatment remains conducive to your schedule in the process.
How is tooth sensitivity managed during teeth whitening?
After completing at-home teeth whitening, patients may temporarily experience increased sensitivity in the teeth and gums; this typically subsides within a week. While the amount of whitening solution can be tailored to each patient’s varying degrees of sensitivity, our team has provided a few tips on how to manage any discomfort before, during, and after bleaching:
- Use oral hygiene products specifically designed to combat or diminish sensitivity, such as Sensodyne® toothpaste
- Begin using a soft-bristled toothbrush to lessen the impact of whitening agents on damaged areas
- If sensitivity becomes extremely uncomfortable, lessen the frequency of whitening treatment
- Rinse with fluoride mouthwash
If sensitivity persists or becomes unmanageable, please raise this concern with our cosmetic dentist, as this can indicate a cavity or other oral health problem.
How long do teeth whitening results last?
Neither at-home nor in-office whitening provides permanent results (whitening treatments begin to fade in about one to four years), and “touch-up” treatments will eventually be necessary. Patients should also note that teeth whitening cannot be used on the porcelain or ceramic materials used in dental bonding, porcelain veneers, or caps. If the whitening effect is not as pronounced as desired, subsequent treatments may be necessary.
How much does teeth whitening cost?
In comparison with other cosmetic dentistry treatments, teeth whitening can be an affordable, yet powerful, way to completely transform your smile for gleaming results. According to data from Realself.com, a patient-reviewing platform for various healthcare treatments, the average cost of teeth whitening near Morristown is approximately $350. However, this figure does not necessarily represent your estimated treatment expenses, as the price of teeth whitening will generally depend on:
- The type of whitening system used
- The method of teeth whitening (in-office and/or at-home)
- The amount of sessions desired
- The extent of whitening required to achieve your goals
Drs. Romano, Bizzarro, and Dunn work with a number of dental financing companies, including CareCredit® and CitiHealth®, to help interested patients bring the cost of teeth whitening into budget. Once approved through the easy application process, these options present qualified candidates with a range of payment plans consisting of low monthly installments to make the price of treatment more manageable. If you have any questions about the cost of teeth whitening, please contact our practice for more details.
Schedule a teeth whitening consultation
If you want to dramatically improve your smile, consider teeth whitening – one of the quickest, easiest ways to take years off your appearance. Schedule a complimentary teeth whitening consultation by contacting Aesthetic Smiles of New Jersey today. We can discuss your options for revamping your smile.
