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Teeth Whitening

May 03

Can I use peroxide to whiten my teeth?

By Teeth Whitening

Is it possible to use 3% hydrogen peroxide that you can buy over the counter to whiten teeth?

Wendy from Edmund, OK

Wendy,

It is possible to rinse with peroxide, but it won’t make that much of a difference. You can still use an at-home treatment, but you should use one that is supervised by a dentist. Trays and a whitening agent will give you nice results just as long as you allow the solution to penetrate your teeth for a minimum of fifteen minutes. And for quicker results, the trays and whitening agent can safely be worn for a couple hours per day or overnight.  Keep in mind that tooth stains are typically deep, so you want to be sure to whiten the dentin, which is beneath the tooth enamel.

Another alternative is to wear the Crest Whitestrips thirty minutes per day for two weeks. They have roughly a 6% peroxide concentration. This method will provide mild whitening, and it outperforms rinsing with 3% peroxide. This should give you a good perspective of how long it would take to whiten your teeth when just rinsing with peroxide.

Learn about options to whiten discolored teeth, such as Zoom whitening and cosmetic dentistry procedures.

Apr 22

I’d like to know how much dental work can be done in one visit.

By Sedation Dentistry, Teeth Whitening

I’m in need of extensive dental work including a tooth that needs shortening and whitening, 7 root canals, and 3 cavities. I’m trying to avoid making several appointments with my dentist. Can you tell me how much work can be done in one visit?

Jake from Carson City

Jake,

Each dentist is different regarding how much work they’re willing to do in one sitting. You’ll need to ask your dentist what he or she is willing to do for you.

Dentists that provide sedation dentistry are often the ones willing to do more work in one sitting. Check with your dentist to see if sedation is available, and if not, then you’ll need to find another general dentist or cosmetic dentist that offers it.

If you want to remain with your current dentist, then the amount of work depends on how long you can withstand the visit. It is possible to sit  through a four-hour appointment if you feel at ease with dentistry. A lot can be done in this amount of time if your dentist is capable of working fast.

Providing there are no complications with your front tooth, your dentist should be able to do the tooth whitening and shortening.

Your dentist should be able to complete your seven root canal treatments in one sitting as long as they are on your front teeth. If you require root canal treatments on your molars, and you prefer minimal appointments, then you could go to an endodontist. Endodontists are root canal specialists with the ability to perform a molar root canal in one hour, while a general dentist can take up to two hours per molar.

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