Boise Dentist Teeth Whitening Advice for Summer

With summer upon us, we know that many of you are looking to whiten your teeth. That’s why your Boise dentist at Summit Dental Group would like to provide you with the following tips for each of our three teeth whitening procedures:

Advice for Crest Extra-Strength Teeth Whitening Strips

With special-strength white strips only available from your Boise dentist, you can get professional results that are easy to use on the go. Here are our tips for this affordable method of cosmetic dentistry:

• Try to keep the strips off your gums. While you want to make sure that you are covering your teeth, you don’t want the peroxide gel on your gums as it can irritate them and cause ulcers. This is especially important since these strips require more weeks of use for the best results.
• Only use for the recommended daily time. Since the peroxide in the strips can irritate gums, don’t keep them in all night. Instead, cap the time at 45 minutes.
• Sip coffee and tea through a straw. If you can’t give up your teeth-staining drinks, drink them through a straw so that they don’t get on your teeth during the whitening process.

Advice for At-Home Teeth Whitening Gel with Customized Trays

As our most popular teeth whitening solution, this gel and tray kit has a customized tray that is made from an impression of your teeth, so it fits perfectly. This customized tray also keeps the gel just on your teeth and away from your gums.

• Keep trays in all night. Since the trays keep the whitening gel off the gums, you can leave the trays in all night for the most whitening. Plus, it is no hassle to put the trays in before bed.
• Look out for sensitive teeth. If your teeth start to hurt or become sensitive to hot or cold temperatures, you can try one or all of three things:
  • Use less gel in the trays
  • Use the trays every other day instead of once a day
  • Use toothpaste for sensitive teeth like Sensodyne.
• Once at the desired whiteness, only touch up once a week. Some people get obsessed with teeth whitening and Boise cosmetic dentistry, continuing to use the strips every night. However, once you reach the desired level of whiteness, you only need to use the whitening strips once or twice a month.

Advice for a Boise Dentist Teeth Whitening In-Office Appointment

As the fastest way to whiten your teeth, in-office treatments can use a stronger solution because the process is under professional supervision. If you don’t have the time, this is a great option.

• Get healthy teeth beforehand. In-office teeth whitening can aggravate any cavities or decay in your teeth, so you’ll need our Boise dentists to make sure your teeth are healthy and ready to go!
• Start using toothpaste for sensitive teeth before the appointment. If you are prone to sensitive teeth, you can start protecting your teeth from sensitivity by using Sensodyne a week before your appointment.
• Watch out for staining foods or substances. Teeth can be unusually vulnerable to staining right after whitening, so take a few days off of coffee, tea, wine, or smoking.

Still, have questions about visiting your Boise dentist for a teeth whitening treatment? Cosmetic dentistry is our specialty, so contact us by filling out our online form or give us a call at our downtown office at (208) 314-2275 for more information!