Got my teeth whitened

[haganah]

Originally Posted by Notreknip

<----- Dentist I tend to agree with the above. Personally, the spas up here don't/can't offer whitening. I'd be interested to hear more about the details of the treatment if you happen to reply Mauro.

The dentist whitening is done either through zoom or britesmile. Both are brands of the same company since one got sued and was subsequently bought out. Britesmile has branches of its own outside dental offices and in spas. I haven't seen Zoom branches. The company that sells both does so in a way that dentists have to buy the equipment for one and lease it for the other. They are both great and run around 500 or so. There is also at home, tray whitening or strips. The trays are still a few hundred and work more slowly. They have different formulations (20%, 30%, etc.) and can work well. Crest strips also work well for the price but not as well as the higher strength tray treatments or the britesmile/zoom. If your teeth don't whiten much after the bleaching, it's because that's their natural color. If you were to get a veneer for example, they might recommend doing an at home kit and also the britesmile/zoom after just so you can be sure what the natural color is when they match. Enjoy.

 

[DocHolliday]

It may just be coincidence, but I've encountered several people with freakishly white teeth lately. Creepy. I hope it isn't a fad.

 

[athletics]

And also, I know some people that tried the Crest strips and didn't think it helped at all. However since its so gradual, you almost don't notice the change until you either look at an old picture or someone straight out asks if you got your teeth whitened.

 

[GQgeek]

can anyone confirm what a dentist whitening costs? (ballpark)

 

[dusty]

Originally Posted by Notreknip

In brief, according to the literature, yes. But, only micromillimeters - probably the same effect as a month's worth of soft drinks or something like that.

The more "real" problem is the potential for sensitivity and a transient pulpitis effect. (And, a temporary decrease in bond efficiency for composites/cements, but that is a bit of a stretch for the purpose of SF.)

OT, but how much long-term damage do drinks like Coke cause?

 

[Toiletduck]

So...do soft drinks also whiten your teeth?

 

[Notreknip]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

can anyone confirm what a dentist whitening costs? (ballpark)
Here in "rural" Canada, an at-home delivery system with custom trays will range from $350-$500 whereas as high-concentration one appointment treatment will range from $800-1000. In larger Canadian cities I can imagine at least 50% added to these fees. I don't even want to guess what dentists bill in the US for these treatments.

Originally Posted by Toiletduck

So...do soft drinks also whiten your teeth?
Nope, but... You know, that'd make for an interesting study, because I could potentially see some merit to the notion that clear soft drinks could provide a whitening effect. That said, the side effects would ensure that this topic would never make it past the ethics committees.

 

[Notreknip]

Originally Posted by dusty

OT, but how much long-term damage do drinks like Coke cause?

They can cause immense damage.

I apologize for the vague and obvious answer that follows, but it's the truth:

It all depends on how/when the drinks are consumed and especially how often they are consumed. Soft drinks are sort of a double-whammy in a sense because they are loaded with sugar but also are of a low (acidic) pH. I have seen many "coke-addicts" with thin, fragile enamel and grossly carious teeth. That said, oftentimes these individuals lack oral hygiene and have other health problems as well, so it is difficult to come up with a conclusion based on any direct correlation.

For example, I'll admit that I drink a lot of soft drinks and sport drinks - probably between 350mL and 1L per day, but yet I don't have any signs of damage.

If you do drink these drinks often, drink them through a straw, drink them relatively rapidly, and avoid brushing for about 30 minutes afterwards.