Tooth whitening: questions and answers

For most adults with healthy teeth and gums it is, but your dentist makes that call after an exam.

During the exam your dentist checks your gums, looks for cavities, notes any fillings or crowns, and works out what is causing the discoloration. Yellowish discoloration usually responds better than grayish tones, and some stains respond less to whitening.

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Ask your dentist before you start.

Whitening is a cosmetic treatment, so at times like these it is usually approached with caution and sometimes postponed. The dentist who knows you is the right person to say what makes sense in your case.

Gums and cavities are treated first, and whitening comes after.

Whitening gel should go on healthy teeth and gums, so inflamed gums and open cavities are treated before whitening. The exam before whitening finds them, and your dentist decides the order of treatment.

No. OBIOWHITE whitening is free of pain and sensitivity.

The treatment is built for it from the prep step on. Before whitening, your dentist applies OBIOACTIVE, a prep gel with potassium nitrate that, according to the manufacturer, is there to reduce sensitivity. Your gums are protected with OBIOGINGIVAL, a gel that, according to the manufacturer, forms a barrier that keeps the whitening gel on your teeth. The OBIOWHITE LAMP emits no heat, UV or infrared, per the manufacturer. And your dentist checks your teeth and gums before treatment and stays with you throughout.

How OBIOWHITE is built to be free of pain and sensitivity.

Tell your dentist at the suitability visit. They will examine your teeth and gums and plan your treatment accordingly.

The exam also covers exposed roots, older fillings, untreated decay and the health of your gums. If anything needs care, it is treated first, and whitening comes after.

You sit back in the chair with headphones and music, and your dentist is right there with you. There is no pain.

An in-clinic session usually takes about an hour; your dentist will tell you how long yours will take. Afterward you go back to your day, and simply avoid strongly colored food and drinks for the first 24 to 48 hours. Questions after the session? Your dentist is there for you.

No. Whitening works only on natural teeth; crowns, tooth-colored fillings and veneers keep their color.

So after whitening, the difference between a natural tooth and a restored one can be more noticeable than before.

It means whitening should be planned ahead with your dentist, because the restoration will not lighten along with the teeth around it.

Sometimes the teeth are whitened first, and once the shade settles the restoration is matched or replaced to the new shade. Whether that is needed, and in what order, is your dentist’s decision based on your mouth.

In the clinic, your dentist whitens with a more concentrated gel in a single visit. At home, whitening is gentler and is used mainly for gradual improvement or to keep a result.

OBIOWHITE ULTRA, the in-clinic gel, contains 27% hydrogen peroxide (per the label), and your dentist applies it only after protecting your gums. A session like this usually takes about an hour; your dentist will tell you how long yours will take. OBIOWHITE STRIPS for home use contain 6% hydrogen peroxide (per the label).

More detail: in-clinic whitening and at-home whitening and upkeep.

Yes, and it is a common combination: whitening in the clinic, followed by at-home treatments to keep the result, as your dentist directs.

Your dentist will tell you when to start at home, how often, and for how long. How it works at home.

No. OBIOWHITE STRIPS are provided through your dentist, and the box states that they are for professional use only.

That way your dentist can first make sure whitening suits you and explain exactly how to use the strips.

Strongly colored food and drinks, such as coffee, tea, red wine, cola and dark sauces, and smoking.

This is common advice for the first 24 to 48 hours. If your dentist gave you different instructions, follow those.

Yes, after the first few days. Just keep in mind that coffee, tea, red wine and smoking bring stains back over time.

What helps: rinsing with water after a dark drink, brushing regularly, and keeping up with professional cleanings.

It varies from person to person, and no single number is true for everyone.

The result fades gradually. How fast depends on your habits (coffee, tea, wine, smoking), your oral hygiene, and the shade your teeth started at. Maintenance treatments help the result last longer.

You can refresh the result with at-home maintenance treatments or a repeat treatment in the clinic, as your dentist recommends.

Keeping your result at home.

Your teeth will be lighter than their natural shade, but exactly how much cannot be known in advance.

The result depends on your starting shade and the type of staining, so it differs from person to person. Before treatment, your dentist can check your current shade against a shade guide so you can see the change.

The goal is a lighter shade that looks natural on you, not a flat, artificial white.

Talk with your dentist beforehand about the shade you are hoping for, so you are both expecting the same result.

Sometimes it is, and sometimes another treatment or follow-up at home is needed to reach the shade you want.

It depends on your starting shade, the type of staining and how your teeth respond. Your dentist will assess this at the exam and after the first treatment.