Whitening at Dr. Elston Wong Dentistry
Brighten your smile
Do you hate the darkness or yellowness of your teeth? Whitening, or more accurately, bleaching, is a safe, effective, and simple method to lighten the shade of your teeth. By using either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide to oxidize staining compounds, you can achieve whitening of your teeth without damaging the tooth structure!
Whitening can be achieved in as little as one session, or over about ten days. The faster the bleaching, the more sensitive the teeth can get, so we recommend the slower process for those with sensitive teeth. The end results are about the same!
In dark teeth which have already had root canal treatment, it is also possible to perform internal bleaching, a process where bleaching material is inserted inside the tooth and allowed to percolate through the crown, whitening it from the inside. This treatment is safe, can be applied to a single tooth, and takes about 2-3 weeks!
Fast facts
Bleaching is safe for teeth!
Bleaching will bleach teeth but will not whiten fillings or porcelain.
Bleaching can even be done in children as long as baby teeth are gone!
Bleaching should be done prior to veneers & cosmetic work so the teeth will match.
The process
Step One
What are you looking for? We discuss with you what your expectations are and how best to achieve them. Bleaching is one of many things that dentistry has at its disposal to improve appearances.
Step Two
If whitening is right for you, we then decide on the method and take the next steps. This could be the fabrication of custom bleaching trays, or the delivery of the whitening product!
Step Three
Whitening starts! We take pre-bleaching shades and give you instructions. After the specified bleaching period, we can take post-bleaching shades to see how much improvement you made!
Let the results speak for themselves
Looking for real life transformations? Take a look at some before and after examples.
See our other smile
makeover services
Try our virtual smile simulation
Whitening FAQs
Are there different kinds of whitening procedures?
Yes. We have in-house bleaching procedures (faster, but more sensitive) and at-home bleaching (slower, less sensitive), but both will produce similar results. We also have a third type of whitening, internal whitening, which is reserved for dark teeth that have had root canals – in this case, we bleach from the inside to allow the material to penetrate through the dark tooth.
Who can get teeth whitening?
Once primary (baby) teeth are gone and the permanent teeth are all full in place, then bleaching can be done. Before that, there is the risk that whitening some teeth before others will cause mismatched teeth.
My teeth are sensitive, can I get whitening?
Most people will report some transient sensitivity during and after whitening, but if your teeth are already quite sensitive, we would modify the pace of whitening and likely add some anti-sensitivity measures so your teeth don’t drive you crazy every time you drink cold or hot water.
How long does a professional whitening procedure take?
Our in-house bleaching appointment will take about two hours, which produces some pretty rapid results. But that’s not all! We also send you home with some whitening trays and gel to enable you to continue the whitening or have something to boost your tooth brightness in the future.
How long until I see results?
Bleaching is pretty quick. The in-office bleaching will have you seeing results in about two hours, and the other methods will take a few days (but not be complete until about ten days of whitening have passed)
How long do results last?
Obviously this varies from person to person, but typically bleaching doesn’t need to be repeated for at least one to two years.
How much whitening can I expect?
This is a tough one. People who have internally dark teeth (especially the really tough cases with tetracycline staining) or who have lost enamel from erosion will typically not whiten as much, and of course fillings and ceramic veneers or crowns will not whiten. For normal enamel, it can’t not work! How much is impossible to predict as it depends on home compliance with the bleaching as well as dietary factors (coffee, red wine, tomato sauce will make things stain more easily).
