Rules for Touching Up Teeth Whitening

Posted by writeradmin

I’m looking to touch up my smile ahead of my upcoming dental crown placement. However, I’m having trouble getting information from my dentist on how to go about this. My specific questions are mostly in regard to how long I have to whiten, such as how many hours per day and how many days/weeks to plan.

Fannie

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Dear Fannie,

I’m a bit concerned that your dentist cannot answer these questions. These are pretty basic cosmetic questions. Much more basic that making a dental crown blend in naturally to the adjacent teeth.

While there isn’t an definitive number of hours and days I can give you, there are general principles. The first of which being that the longer you wear the teeth whitening gel each day, the faster your teeth will whiten. For example, if you wear them for five hours a day, your teeth will whiten much faster than if you just whitened for 30 minutes a day.

If you are in a hurry, the most effective way to do it would be to wear the teeth whitening trays over night. This is not only because the gel will be on your teeth longer, but also because we produce less saliva at night. If that is not possible for you, then just wear them for as long as you can tolerate throughout the day. Another speedy option is Zoom Whitening. It is an in-office teeth whitening procedure that will whiten your teeth in just one appointment.

The one definitive is something you did not ask. That is how long you need to wait between the time you finish your whitening and when you can get your dental crown made. Your teeth will continue whitening for up to two weeks after you complete your procedure. After that, you will be safe to have your dental crown done.

This blog is brought to you by Moline Dentist Dr. Thomas Goebel.