Teeth Whitening

The world of dentistry has undergone many changes over the years with new technological advances happening every few years. The general baseline of dentistry (keeping your teeth clean and preventing cavities) hasn’t really changed all that much over the years, but the different options available to you as a patient has.

There are many procedures under the preventative and restorative dentistry umbrella that can be done nowadays, one of these procedures is teeth whitening. If your teeth have been discolored over the years due to neglect, drinking certain liquids (soda pop, coffee, etc.) or smoking, that discoloration can be fixed over time with proper whitening procedures.

Zoom Whitening

Zoom whitening is one of the newer procedures that is available from Carmel West Dentistry. The Zoom method is a process that bleaches your teeth and lightens the discoloration over time with a series of hydrogen peroxide treatments. The procedure starts with the Dr. Halsema covering your lips and gums and inserting a small vice-type instrument to spread your mouth open to expose your teeth and gums. Dr. Halsema and/or her assistant applies a whitening gel which contains 25% hydrogen peroxide. As the gel is being applied over your teeth, a UV light shines on your teeth to work in tandem with the gel to help break up stains. The gel / UV light tandem stays on your teeth for around 15 minutes during each session. Noticeable whitening usually takes place within one to two sessions of the Zoom method. Whitening trays are usually given to you to take home to use for “touching up” between sessions.  

Custom Whitening Trays

As previously mentioned, whitening trays are taken home with you after your first Zoom treatment. This may or may not be a “custom” set of trays depending on your dentist and the amount of money you’d like to spend. If money isn’t an issue, then you can opt to have custom trays instead. Custom whitening trays are made by Dr. Halsema, who fits your teeth with a mold. When the mold hardens, the it will have a unique impression of your teeth and the tray will be made. The tray will be unique to your teeth and you can put whitening gel inside these trays and fit them over your teeth to whiten them as a stand-alone treatment, or between Zoom sessions.

Professional Whitening Strips

Teeth whitening strips are one of the newest ways that patients can keep their teeth clean between dental appointments. Whitening strips are made of hydrogen peroxide and carbide peroxide mixed with gel. They are similar to trays, although strips only cover the front of your teeth and not the back, this is why strips cost much less than trays. It’s a budget-conscious way to maintain the color of your teeth in-between visits to the dentist. One thing to point out with all of these methods of teeth whitening, if you have crowns or fillings, they won’t be affected by these treatments.

Whiten Your Teeth

With all of these new technologies, now is a great time to get your teeth whitened. Give us a call at (317) 253-8631 to get started. Or, you can reach us through our online contact form as well.