Question:
Am considering having my teeth profesionally bleached (by my cosmetic
dentist). The results look good on the people who I have seen, but I would
like to know more from you all. (This is the custom made mouthpiece, weekly
visits to dentist, high price deal, not the buy the kit at the discount
drugstore option, which I am too cowardly for.)
Answer:
I have done the professional bleaching. I had the molds of my teeth made
and then you get the little plastic tray that you fill with the solution
and leave on your teeth.
Here is what happened to me: My teeth got EXTREMELY (sorry for yelling,
but I want to emphasize this) sensitive. To the point that simple
breathing would cause a lot of pain on my teeth. I could only use the
solution every 2 or 3 days, but the sensitivity was always there. And my
teeth did get whiter, but the tetracycline stains never faded. Apparently
bleaching will not bleach out tetracycline stains, which was my original
goal. Oh well, live and learn.
The problem is you never know if you'll be the one to experience the
sensitivity. You just have to try it and see.
Your dentist should of advised you that tetracycline stains
and stains from root canal work will not change. Mine did.
Absolutely! I do not have those stains but I do recall my dentist
mentioning this and I have also read the same thing.....I think any dentist
who neglects to mention this is setting the patient up for failure! I
didn't have any problem with sensitivity, personally. I loved the
results.....I am a coffee/cappucino/espresso drinker extraordinaire and you
can imagine the color this habit can leave the teeth! Bleaching worked
wonders for my teeth. :-)
Yup I did it and am I ever glad. The worst part of it is the making of
the mold. Now that I have the bleaching tray, I buy a tube of the bleach (
about 35 dollars) every 6 months or so and for a few days I use that tray
instead of my everyday mouth tray. That one is worn every night because I
am a horrible teeth grinder and have rendered crowns into dust in days.
Grinding loosens teeth and sets up really bad problems which explains why I
had my jaw scraped and planed today. I cannot express enough how much of a
difference the bleaching made. Now I want to get the tray for my lower jaw.
I asked my dentist about it a year or so ago, as I have permanent fluoride
stains on my teeth. Some sort of white coating painted on the tooth (I
forget why he didn't want to go the bleaching route) was about $100 per
tooth. Which is why my teeth are still not white! (There are so many things
I would rather spend that money on ....)
Mine cost about $500 for top and bottom - included trays and multiple tubes of
bleach which probably lasted several weeks.
Mine was Nite White. It cost about $250. My dentist made molds from
my teeth, and the process took about two weeks. I have an extra tube
of the 'gel' or whatever for touch-ups. I noticed results in two
days. My teeth weren't that yellow before, but you (and many others)
do notice the difference. It did make my gums more sensitive for a
while though, but now they are fine.
