About Home Teeth Whitening
Do you enjoy drinking red wine, dark-colored sodas, coffee, or tea, but dislike the way they stain or discolor your teeth? If so, you are not alone. At Southern Cal Smiles, the most common complaint that our Woodland Hills and Calabasas patients have about their teeth is that they have become increasingly discolored or dulled due to diet or the natural aging process. Thankfully, Dr. Susan Fredericks offers a wide array of effective teeth whitening treatments to help patients achieve whiter, brighter teeth. One of the easiest and more convenient methods of teeth whitening is at-home whitening with 16% or 22% carbamide peroxide. This tooth whitening treatment takes several weeks to complete and involves wearing thin, custom-made trays in your mouth for a few hours per day or while you sleep. After several weeks of treatment, you should see whiter, brighter teeth. If you would like to whiten your teeth gradually, schedule a consultation with Dr. Fredericks at Southern Cal Smiles in Woodland Hills, CA to decide if home teeth whitening treatments are right for you.
What to Expect
A thorough examination is conducted by Dr. Fredericks before any whitening treatment to assess your oral health, especially the strength of the dental enamel. Dr. Fredericks will go over whitening options with you and if home whitening is chosen, she will make custom trays using molds of your teeth. She will include teeth bleaching solution and go over instructions with you to ensure you are safely and effectively whitening your teeth at home. The length of each treatment time will vary for each patient, and final results may take longer depending on your goals and starting enamel color.
Treatment Aftercare
Once you reach your goal enamel shade, you should stop using your home whitening kit to avoid damaging your teeth and gums. With good home dental care and regular dental cleanings, the results from home whitening kits should last for several years. You should talk to Dr. Fredericks about the best home products to extend your whitening through toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, and other treatments. To avoid new stains, you should limit certain foods and drinks, like red wine, berries, tea, coffee, soda, and others that commonly stain the teeth.
Anticipated costs
Since home teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure, it is usually not covered by dental insurance, but our office can check with your carrier to confirm your coverage. Southern Cal Smiles offers many payment and financing options if you are paying out of pocket for your home teeth whitening treatments.