Teeth Whitening in Downtown Portland

how does teeth whitening work?

Teeth whitening is a non-invasive cosmetic treatment that can improve the appearance of discoloration and tooth stains through chemical bleaching. Whitening agents contain ingredients that increase the porosity of the teeth. 

This enables the peroxide to penetrate deeper into the enamel, down to the dentinal layer. Peroxide contains oxygen molecules that react with and break down staining molecules in the tooth. 

This results in a whiter appearance because intrinsic, as well as extrinsic tooth stains, have been removed. Contact us at Five Pines Dental today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Richard Zeller.

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Did you know…

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Drugstore whitening trays don’t contain high enough peroxide concentrations to remove intrinsic stains.

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How it works: The teeth Whitening process

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consultation

At your consultation, we will examine your teeth to look for signs of oral health problems. If you have any decay or gum disease, this will need to be treated first. Depending on the severity of your tooth discoloration, we may recommend in-office or take-home whitening.

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impressions (for take-home only)

For our patients who choose to whiten their teeth at home, we will need them to come into the office so we can take a 3D scan of their teeth and fabricate custom whitening trays for them to wear.

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tooth preparation (for in-office only)

For in-office whitening, we will protect your gums by applying a protective gel and we will hold your mouth open with the use of a cheek retractor.

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whitening

In the office, we will apply the whitening agent directly to each tooth. This will then be rinsed out to reveal your new smile. 

At home, you will apply the whitening gel to your trays and place them over your teeth.

teeth whitening options

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in-office whitening

If you have a special occasion coming up or are looking for an instant whitening boost for professional photos, there is no substitute for an in-office treatment. Performed in the dental chair, we use the highest concentration of peroxide in-office to safely and efficiently produce dramatically whiter results. 

After protecting the soft tissue in your mouth, we apply the whitener to each of your teeth. This process takes 90 minutes and can lighten the shade of your teeth by up to 10 shades in one session. For severe tooth discoloration, you may require multiple whitening appointments.

take home whitening

If you would rather improve the appearance of your smile from home, we can create custom whitening trays for you to wear each day over 1-2 weeks. This enables you to multitask by whitening your teeth and getting other work done. 

We will take a 3D scan of your teeth and create a whitening tray in our in-house lab that molds to the measurements of your mouth. This prevents peroxide from seeping over into your gums like with one-size-fits-all drugstore trays.

It may take a week or so for your trays to be ready to be picked up. Once they are ready, you will come into the office to receive your trays, written instructions, and whitening gel to apply to your trays.

Did you know…

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Tooth sensitivity after teeth whitening is normal and will dissipate as your enamel remineralizes within 48 hours.

interested in a new smile?

Call (503) 482-2160 today!