Tooth Whitening - BriteSmile
Serving Salt Lake City, Park City and surrounding Utah communities
Whitening toothpastes
There are a plethora of over-the-counter products that claim to whiten your teeth. There are toothpastes, rinses, gels, even foods. The best that can be said of most of these products is they probably won’t hurt anything. It is unlikely to make much change in the actual whiteness of your teeth. One negative that we have seen in our office is a dramatic increase in patients with sensitive teeth, many times as a result of regular use of the whitening toothpastes. When looking for a tooth paste, whitening types are usually fine as long as they are ADA approved and have fluoride in them. If you find that your teeth have become sensitive to temperature or sweets, try a de-sensityzing toothpaste for a few weeks (crest sensitive, sensodyne).
Over the counter whitening strips (Crest White Strips, etc.)
These products do seem to have some ability to whiten your teeth. They are not a huge cost (usually $40 - $60) and you can decide how much to use them. It is typical to see a few shades of whitening. Some patients find them a nuisance to use and you are unlikely to get the results they show in their marketing material.
Whitening trays
These are trays, usually custom made trays, that are made by the dentist. You then place whitening gel in the trays and place in your mouth. The cost is around $350. They are better than the strips because you are using a tray to get the tooth whitening material against the teeth for extended periods of time. There is a choice of concentrations of gel that can be selected. The main disadvantage of the trays is that it is difficult or even impossible for many patients to wear them enough to get the most effect from it. There is also a big difference in how the trays are made. If the dentist goes to the trouble of creating an effect reservoir for the gel material and a good seal around the teeth they will be more comfortable and more effective.
Britesmile
We have been using Britesmile in our office for 10 years, in fact we were the first office to offer it in Utah. I still believe it is the gold standard for teeth whitening. There have been over 1 million procedures done so far. It is the system that has the best and longest studies on the effectiveness and safety of their system. The cost for BriteSmile is $500.
With this system, a protective barrier is placed over the gums. The gel is then placed on the teeth and is light activated. The gel is replaced and the whitening is done in three 20 minute sessions, all in one appointment. The entire procedure takes about an hour and a half, or just about long enough to watch a movie.
There is some sensitivity (about 25% of our patients) that lasts approximately 24 hours.
There are a lot of tooth whitening systems and they all make great claims. Britesmile has a way of getting the most from their whitening gel. Some systems use 35 - 50% Hydrogen Peroxide solutions. Britesmile uses a 15% solution but are able to get exceptional results in spite of (or possibly because of) it. With a lower concentration of solution, no heat from the light, we see much less tooth sensitivity. The main competitor to BriteSmile is Zoom which is also an in-office whitening system. At this point I believe that BriteSmile is the best, safest, most effective and longest lasting whitening system and without question the most common choice in our office.
Deep Bleaching
For those patients that want to get the absolute whitest teeth they can get without going to porcelain veneers there is Deep Bleaching. It is a combination of in-office whitening and take home trays. The trays are custom made by a laboratory to give the most precise fit we can get. The cost is $1500 and requires two office visits with nighttime tray use for about 2 weeks in between. This will whiten even the toughest cases.
For more information, see Tooth Whitening Questions.
To learn more about teeth whitening with BriteSmile as well as other cosmetic dentistry procedures in Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah, or to set up an appointment or consultation, contact us or call Dr. Kent M. Johnson today at 435-658-0678.
