Teeth Whitening – San Antonio, TX
Making Your Smile Shine Bright
Even if you care for it, your smile may (and likely will) look darker over time. Many aspects of day-to-day life – meals, aging, etc. – can lead to stains on your precious grin. The good news is that there’s a quick and effective fix for this problem: teeth whitening in San Antonio! As provided by our own Dr. Patel, this treatment will help your pearly whites live up to their nickname. Simply keep reading to learn more about it, or book a consultation soon.
Why Choose HIC Dental - Implant & Family Dentistry for Teeth Whitening?
- Multiple Teeth Whitening Options Offered
- CareCredit Financing Available
- Warm & Attentive Dental Team
Who is a Good Candidate for Teeth Whitening?
A patient only needs decent oral health to qualify for modern teeth whitening. With that said, the treatment does suit some people more than others. You’d do well to consult Dr. Patel to see if your traits would maximize whitening’s effects.
In general, ideal whitening candidates have extrinsic tooth stains. These marks stem from outside factors like meals or bad habits, so treatment can remove them with bleaching gel. Things are different with intrinsic stains, though; discoloration beneath the enamel is often hard to remove.
How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
During your consultation, Dr. Patel will assess your grin through an oral exam. He’ll then review his findings and (with approval) suggest one of the following whitening options:
Take-Home Teeth Whitening
Patients who value flexibility should look into take-home teeth whitening. For this option, our team would provide you with custom trays and quality bleaching gel to use at home. All you’d need to do is wear the gel-filled trays over your teeth for roughly two weeks. By using them for a few hours daily over the two weeks, you’d make your enamel look six to eight shades brighter than before.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
If you prefer speedier results, give thought to our in-office teeth whitening. This treatment is performed at our practice and only takes about an hour or so. More specifically, it consists of applications of bleaching gel to your smile by our hygienists; the gel is then exposed to a special curing light. The process thus offers notable results within a day, rather than several weeks or more.
Tips for Maintaining Your Brighter Smile
The results of teeth whitening don’t last forever, but you can take steps to preserve them better. Simply use the tips below:
- Keep Your Smile Clean – Through twice-daily brushing and once-daily flossing, you can keep stains from building on your smile. These habits also become more effective when combined with dental checkups.
- Avoid Stain Agents – To reduce the risk of new tooth stains, try to avoid foods and drinks with tannins (i.e., stain agents). Examples of the latter include coffee, red wine, berries, tomato sauce, etc.
- Eat Dairy Products – Because they’re calcium-rich and lack dyes, dairy products could help you maintain your treatment results.
- Consider “Re-Whitening” – If you notice your bright smile fading, see your dentist for a follow-up whitening treatment.