Boost Teeth Whitening

One of the most popular questions that patients ask, whether they have been nudged by friends or family, or are just in the office to have their teeth cleaned is, “Am I a candidate for tooth whitening?” The answer is almost always, “Yes!” 

There are many products advertised in the media; some are available over-the-counter, some only through professional dispensations and lately, a large selection of online-only products have come on the market. It can be confusing to know what to buy and if it is safe. Our best advice would be to use us as a resource to answer questions before purchasing any sort of bleaching products. 

How Tooth Whitening Works

Tooth enamel is a porous substance that over time allows stain from the foods and drinks that we enjoy to penetrate and discolor our teeth. 

Whitening products are designed in one of two ways: 

Either to scrub that surface sediment off with an abrasive material similar to pumice or to bubble into those open pathways and remove the stain causing the discoloration. 

Over-the-counter whitening toothpaste brands generally have additives that increase the abrasiveness of the product and serve to scrub off the surface stain.

Peroxide-based tooth whitening systems are those that are generally administered by a dental professional and actually penetrate tooth enamel to get to the source of the stain. 

Boost Professional Teeth Whitening

The whitening system that we offer our clients is Boost and is available as a combination in-office jump start procedure and a follow-up take home kit that can be used to freshen up results when away from the office. 

In-Office Teeth Whitening

The procedure takes one hour in the office and requires no pre-operative preparation. The appointment is easy; patients just relax in the chair and our assistants isolate the teeth and coat them with the whitening gel. 

Take-Home Teeth Whitening

Once the in-office step is complete, patients leave with a take-home kit that finishes up their treatment in the comfort of their own home. We sell additional kits to help sustain your whitening results.  The frequency of whitening depends on how much exposure patients have to the things that stain their teeth. Daily coffee and tea drinkers and red wine lovers are those that must freshen up most often! 

What is the benefit of whitening at my dentists’ office versus using something over-the-counter?

Effectiveness of material – Materials purchased outside of a dental office must be safe to ingest in significant amounts as their application is not isolated. Our whitening agents are more potent as we keep them contained in a tray delivery. This gives better results in less time. 

Reduced sensitivity – The specific system we use reduces cold sensitivity significantly and areas that are best left untouched by bleach, i.e., roots and sensitive dentin, are blocked from exposure.

Control over results – The shade is monitored by our skilled team during the process and recommendations made on the length of treatment, etc. based on results. 

Contact our Leawood dental office to learn more about teeth whitening.