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Facts about Teeth Whitening, Teeth Whiteners, Teeth Whitening Systems, and Teeth Whitening Products
You have questions. We have answers. Learn all about teeth whitening from our panel of teeth bleaching experts. As you research our teeth bleaching systems, we help you learn all about teeth whitening, teeth whiteners, laser whitening and at home teeth bleaching.
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Can I get whiter teeth with dental bleaching?
No. ExpressWhitening is the exact same teeth whitening system dentists use, including the preferred tooth whitener, carbamide peroxide. Our teeth whitening kit includes custom whitening trays just as you’d get with dental teeth bleaching. Your dentist can whiten teeth faster with laser tooth whitening, but except for severely dark teeth, the results of laser whitening are the same as custom tray teeth whitening. NOTE: Our custom teeth whitening trays keep forever, making future touch-ups easy. With laser whitening, you’ll need to have the costly whitening procedure repeated.
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Do drug store teeth bleaching kits work?
Drug store teeth whitening systems use a “one-size-fits-all” whitening strip or whitening tray, which can cause teeth to look “spotty”, and many over-the-counter teeth whitening products are too weak which means you may give up before you get the whiter teeth you want. “Paint on” tooth whiteners don’t stick to the dark teeth long enough to whiten.
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Who should NOT use our teeth whitening system?
You are not a candidate for teeth bleaching if:
- You are pregnant or nursing (consult with your doctor before whitening teeth)
- You have loose teeth, loose fillings, cavities, gum recession or gum disease. We recommend checking with your dentist to be sure these conditions are resolved before teeth whitening.
- You are allergic to any listed ingredient in our home tooth whitening systems (carbamide peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, propylene glycol, glycerin, artificial flavoring)
- You are under 14 years old
- You wear braces
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Does bleaching work on caps? |
| No. Although stains can be removed, white
fillings, crowns and porcelain restorations will
not whiten. Some people choose to whiten their
teeth first, and then have their dentist replace
the caps to match the lighter shade. |
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Will everyone's teeth whiten? |
| Almost all natural teeth will whiten. However,
everyone's teeth are different (heredity, types
of stains etc.) and so results will vary. In
general, gray-toned teeth don't respond as well
as yellow-toned teeth. |
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| Tooth bleaching makes my teeth and gums sensitive. What can I do? |
A small percentage of people experience
sensitivity. It's temporary and is usually
caused from over-exposure to the tooth
whitener.
Here's what you can do:
- Wear bleaching trays for a shorter length of
time, and give your teeth a break from whitening
(a day or more).
- Don't apply too much gel. If more than a
trace of the gel oozes over the tray and onto
your gums, you're applying too much. Always
wipe
any excess gel off your gums after inserting the
tray.
- Use toothpaste formulated for sensitive
teeth. You can also apply fluoride gel to your
teeth for 3-4 minutes before whitening (put it
directly in your tray). It is available at most
pharmacies. )
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| My teeth are whitening unevenly. Is that normal? |
| Yes. It is common for the edges of the tooth to
respond to whitening faster than the rest of the
tooth, causing a temporary uneven appearance.
This is because the enamel is thicker near the
gum line, and therefore takes longer for this
area of the tooth to whiten. Continue treatments
and it will eventually even out. A damaged or
dead tooth may not whiten as much as the other
teeth. Mineral spots may become less
noticeable, but not entirely disappear. |
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| I have spots on my teeth. How will whitening affect them? |
| These spots (usually mineral deposits or stains)
usually respond to the whitening process at a
different rate than the rest of the tooth. The
spots may even seem more prominent after the
first few days of whitening. Be patient and
continue the treatment. Although the spots may
not disappear entirely, they should become less
noticeable. Severe dark spotting may require more
treatments and may require in-office laser
whitening in addition to tray whitening. |
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| Can tooth whitening hurt enamel? |
| No adverse effects to tooth enamel have been
shown in studies of professional teeth
whitening. Our teeth whitening gels have been
used by dentists for years, and have been proven
to be safe. Express Whitening gel has a neutral
PH, perfectly balanced for the health of your
teeth. Be careful. Some over-the-counter gels
are too acidic and can actually damage tooth
enamel. |
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| How long does the whitening process take? |
| Most people see a difference within the first
day
or two and achieve the shade they want within 5
to 12 days. Everyone's teeth are different and
depending on age, lifestyle, and tooth
composition, it may take longer. |
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| How long will I need to wear the whitening tray each day? |
Wear the trays for the following amount of time
(or as directed by your dentist):
16% carbamide peroxide gel - 2-4 daily
22% carbamide peroxide gel - 1 hour daily |
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| What if I skip a day? |
| No problem. For the quickest progress, daily wear
is recommend, but you can whiten your teeth at a
pace that's comfortable for you and still achieve
the results you want. Giving your teeth a break
for a few days between treatments helps avoid
unnecessary sensitivity. |
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| Are the results of Express Whitening permanent? |
| Yes. However, because of normal aging
and eating habits, you may notice some darkening
over time. You can maintain your white smile by
simply wearing your whitening tray once or twice
every few
months. |
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| How long does the gel last? |
| The shelf life of Express Whitening gels is 12-18
months (up to 2 years if refrigerated).
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