Please note: When requesting an appointment online, this is only a REQUEST. A member of our staff will contact you. 

Teeth Whitening Q & A

Why aren’t my teeth white?

Your teeth can lose their luster for a number of reasons. One natural reason is age. As you age, the hard outer layer of your teeth (your enamel) becomes more thin and translucent. This makes it easier to see the inner layer (your dentin), which yellows over time. Some people are actually genetically disposed to having thinner enamel, meaning that genetics might also play a role in the color of your teeth.

Your teeth can also lose their shine through artificial means, like staining. Eating foods or drinking beverages with dark pigments, like coffee, tea, or red wine, can permanently discolor your teeth over time. The same is also true for consuming tobacco products, like cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

Bad oral hygiene certainly plays a part as well, but your teeth can also get dull from certain medications like antihistamines, high blood pressure medication, and early exposure to antibiotics.

How can I whiten my teeth?

Dr. Chirla offers many different professional options to safely and effectively whiten your teeth. Some of the choices available today include:

Custom whitening trays

When you get custom whitening trays, Dr. Chirla takes an impression of your teeth that’s used to make a bleaching tray that fits perfectly around every nook and cranny of your smile. You fill these trays with a professional-grade bleaching solution and wear them for up to an hour per day, whenever it’s convenient for you. After a couple of weeks, you’ll have noticeably whiter teeth and a more radiant smile.

Can’t I just buy teeth whitening strips from the store?

Over-the-counter whitening strips have become an incredibly popular solution for people looking to whiten their teeth, but they’re not nearly as safe or effective as getting a professional treatment with Dr. Chirla.

The whitening treatments that you buy at your local pharmacy use bleaching solutions that are much less potent than what Dr. Chirla uses, meaning that they’re less effective in whitening your smile.

The generic trays and strips are also not designed to fit your particular smile, which leads to the bleaching solution frequently leaking out. This not only makes it less effective, as it’s not coming into contact with your teeth, but it can actually be harmful, as the solution is irritating to your gums.

If you want to make your smile sparkle safely and effectively, book an appointment with a professional like Dr. Chirla today. You can call the office or schedule your visit online.