If you are thinking about whitening your teeth many options are available, we are happy to meet with you to help determine how you can achieve the results you desire. Below are some common questions and answers regarding whitening options:

FAQ #1: How do people get their teeth so white?

Answer: Often times veneers are how people get their teeth so white.  Bleaching products also help to whiten the appearance of teeth. For most patients over the counter products such as tooth pastes and rinses will not produce the desired results because the ingrediants used to whiten the teeth are not held in contact with the tooth long enough to cause a change. Custom bleach trays made by a dental office that isolate the teeth and bleaching solution will keep the chemical in contact with the tooth producing better results. In office bleaching treatments also isolate the teeth and whitening solution for the nessesary time to whiten the teeth.


FAQ #2: Will bleaching my teeth cause damage to them?

Answer: Products purchased through your dental office are tested and deamed safe for use according to the specific directions. Products that are not sold through dental offices do not under go the same scrutiny and therefore cannnot not be backed by the ADA (American Dental Association). In most cases whitening procedures performed by dental offices contain fluoride in the solution which actually stengthens the tooth.


FAQ #3: Will my dental insurance cover bleaching services?

Answer: No- In most cases whitening your teeth is strickly cosmetic and not a covered benefit with your dental insurance. Occasionally flexable spending accounts can be used to pay for the treatments.

FAQ #4: Will whitening products lighten my existing dental work?

Answer : No- unfortunatley fillings and ceramic restorations will not lighten with any bleaching method, if you are not happy with the shade of previous dental work the only way to improve the aesthetics is to replace the work

FAQ #5 Once I bleach my teeth how long will they maintain that shade?

Answer: Those tooth-lightening effects that a person achieves can last somewhat indefinitely but in most cases a “satisfactory” shade change is typically found to last on the order of one to three years.

One study (Leonard, 1998) found that 42% of the persons who had under gone the bleaching process were still satisfied with the shade of their teeth seven years later. Possibly more importantly, no one in the study, including those who were not happy with their current tooth shade, felt that their teeth had regressed all the way back to their original pre-bleaching color.


For additional information or to schedule an appointment contact Rochester Advanced Dentistry 248.656.2020