I am about to have some dental work done and want to touch up my teeth bleaching before moving forward. I have my old teeth whitening trays from my previous dentist. He told me if I kept them, they’d be reusable. I’ve since moved and my dentist isn’t too clear on how long I’d need to wear them each day to get the touch up done before it is time for my dental crown. Can you give me some guidance for that?
Olivia
Dear Olivia,
I was smart that you kept those teeth bleaching trays. That will save you a lot of money. I hope this dental crown you are getting is not on a front tooth. If it is you may want to do it with a different dentist. The teeth whitening question you have is pretty easy to answer and one of the most basic skills in cosmetic dentistry.
Placing a dental crown on a front tooth, however, is a more advanced procedure and does require some significant cosmetic dentistry skills. If he could not answer your touch-up question, he is not qualified to do a crown on a front tooth. If that is what you need, look for someone with advanced training in cosmetic dentistry.
How Long Do You Need to Whiten Your Teeth?
The principle for teeth whitening is fairly straight forward. The longer you wear the teeth whitening agent, the faster they will whiten. The fastest way to do it is to wear them overnight if you are able. If you can’t handle wearing them all night, then simply wear them for as long as you comfortably can during the day.
The one thing to be aware of as far as the time between you stop whitening and you get the dental crown. You want to give at least a week for the color to settle.
This blog is brought to you by San Antonio Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Imam.