A pearly white smile can be an excellent confidence booster. Yellowing or stained teeth are unpleasant to look at and can negatively affect your overall look. The BriteSmile^® Whitening System is a quick, safe and gentle way to restore the natural color of the teeth with minimal discomfort. BriteSmile® uses a combination of gel and light to whiten teeth by up to 14 shades in just one hour.

BriteSmile^® has several advantages over comparable whitening systems. First, the bleaching gel does not need to be activated by lasers or heat. This means that no radiation enters the body. Instead, BriteSmile^® utilizes a unique lamp that propels blue light toward the teeth and expedites whitening. All of the key “smile” teeth will be bleached in a uniform way, without creating hypersensitive lips, gums or soft tissue. BriteSmile^® gel is much more viscous which prevents tooth dehydration, and creates longer lasting results.

How can BriteSmile^® help me?

The best candidates for the BriteSmile® whitening procedure have strong, healthy teeth and gums. If gum disease is an issue, this needs to be treated prior to the gel application. Whitening treatment may not be a good option for patients with highly sensitive teeth, thinning teeth or teeth that exhibit deep inorganic staining.

BriteSmile^® can effectively alleviate the following problems:

• Staining caused by tobacco use.
• Staining caused by strong foods and drinks.
• Yellowing teeth caused by aging.
• Greying teeth (usually hereditary).
• Organic staining.

What preparation is necessary before the BriteSmile^® treatment?

BriteSmile^® elicits the best results on clean, healthy teeth. Therefore, a thorough cleaning is recommended prior to the treatment, to rid the teeth of plaque, tartar and rotting food particles. The dentist will always thoroughly examine the teeth while performing the cleaning to check for any fractures, inflammation or decay. Photographs might also be taken of the teeth prior to the bleaching procedure. This makes “before and after” comparisons more evident.

Though the whitening procedure only takes an hour in the office, BriteSmile^® toothpaste, dental trays and a less concentrated version of the gel may be given for home use. BriteSmile^® is long lasting and effective, but stains can quickly reappear on the teeth – particularly if tobacco is being used.

What does BriteSmile^® treatment involve?

None of the steps in the BriteSmile^® system should cause discomfort. The BriteSmile^® gel only contains a 15% or 25% concentration of hydrogen peroxide, which means the teeth and gums should not feel uncomfortable. Many of the alternative whitening treatments contain a 35% or 50% concentration of hydrogen peroxide, which dehydrates teeth and causes them to become hypersensitive. BriteSmile^® gel is balanced with water and glycerin which work together to hydrate the teeth. The bleaching gel is applied to the teeth for three twenty-minute intervals as follows:

1. A retractor is placed inside the mouth to fully expose the teeth.
2. A hardening resin is applied to the gums to prevent the bleaching gel from irritating them.
3. The gel and blue light are applied to the teeth for twenty minutes.
4. The dentist checks whitening progress.
5. The gel is removed and then more gel is applied for another twenty minutes.
6. The gel is again removed and then more gel is applied for an additional twenty minutes.
7. The retractors are removed when the final gel application is complete.
8. The mouth is rinsed and the new tooth color is measured immediately.

The teeth may look incredibly white immediately after treatment due to mild dehydration. The actual color of teeth will become apparent when the teeth have had 48 hours to rehydrate.

If you have any questions or concerns about BriteSmile^® or other whitening treatments, please ask your dentist.