Teeth Whitening - Long Island City, NY
Let's oxidize those tooth stains
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dentistry procedure which bleaches the teeth whiter by using hydrogen peroxide to oxidize extrinsic and intrinsic stains.
But let's be honest, you're here because you either think your teeth are too yellow and stained or you believe they could be whiter. Regardless of which one it is, our dentists are experts at whitening teeth in Long Island City.
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What we offer
If you want to whiten your teeth with us, our dental team at Jackson Ave Dental offers two whitening options. The first option is a professional take home kit where you do it at home while you sleep. The second option do an additional in office whitening session after you're done with the take home.
We'll explain the process for teeth whitening in Long Island City with our office.
KoR Take Home Kit
Our take home system involves making customized bleaching trays. You use these trays to whiten your teeth while you sleep for 14 nights straight.
We only use KoR Whitening which is the most effective system.
KoR Take Home + In Office
If you like the take home result but you want them to be a bit whiter, you can add on an in office bleaching session. It will be an hour long appointment with our cosmetic dentists so make sure your phone is charged for the appt.
Note: You MUST do the take home before you get the in office. Protocol states if you don't see results with the at home, you cannot start the in office.
When you may benefit from whitening
Bleaching your teeth may be a cosmetic procedure but some notable benefits are improved self esteem and improved aesthetics. There is really nothing wrong with having whiter and healthier teeth!
Here is a visual guide that our dentists in Long island City have put together for you. It shows various conditions which you may want to consider whitening.
How we can help
The whitening process with our dentists will differ depending on if you're doing the take home or in office. However, even the in office session still requires the at home treatment to be completed first.
The first step is to make customized whitening trays. Below is an example of what they look like.
Take Home Kit: 15 mins but 14 days of whitening
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Take impressions (molds) of your upper and lower teeth with our dental assistant.
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Return in 1 week to pick up your custom bleaching trays.
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Whiten your teeth for 14 nights straight while you sleep.
In Office Session: 60 mins (3x 20 min sessions)
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Take 800mg of ibuprofen with water.
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Isolate the teeth with cotton rolls.
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Place the gum barrier to protect the gums.
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Paint whitening material all over the teeth.
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Wait 20 minutes.
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Suction off the whitening gel.
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Repeat steps #4-6 two more times.
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Now you're all done!
Before and After
These are before and after results of using KoR teeth whitening. We must say that they look fairly impressive. All of the teeth have gotten significantly whiter.
Just as a disclaimer, the results will vary but most people should lighten up by one or two shades. Your teeth will definitely get whiter than they before starting treatment.
Costs
Unfortunately, all forms of teeth whitening are NOT covered by insurance. It is considered a cosmetic procedure which it is so it is deemed unnecessary by insurance companies. Their reasoning is that you can still eat, speak, and function with yellow stained teeth.
Basically if you wanted whiter teeth, you will have to pay for the entire treatment out of pocket.
FAQs
How long does whitened teeth last?
How long your teeth can stay white would depend on the person and their dietary habits. If you consume a lot of staining foods and drinks it may not last as long. Nonetheless, studies have shown that teeth can potentially retain some of their whiteness even 5 years after the treatment.
Teeth feel very sensitive after treatment
A common side effect of bleaching your teeth is sensitivity. According to the ADA, it should subside within a week after you finish whitening treatment. However, there are steps you can take to reduce some of the sensitivity.
Our recommendation for sensitivity reduction:
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Brush with sensodyne toothpaste
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Place sensodyne toothpaste inside of your whitening trays and wear them for 30 minutes. Repeat 2-3x per day.
How do the teeth become whiter?
All whitening products utilize hydrogen peroxide or a derivative of it. When peroxide comes into contact with teeth, it starts to decompose and form potent free radicals. These free radicals diffuse through the tooth while chemically oxidizing all of the stain molecules.
The oxidation process transform the conjugated double bonds of stains to single bonds. Molecules with less double bonds will absorb less light and reflect more of it. In other words, it will appear whiter.