Teeth whitening in Northampton

Why Whiten Your Teeth?

Daily brushing and flossing are crucial to keeping your teeth healthy, but they don’t always stop teeth from becoming dull or yellow. Some people are born with naturally thinner tooth enamel (the tooth’s outer layer), enabling the yellowish dentin (the soft inner layer) to show. Tooth enamel also thins as we age, making dentin more visible.

There are many reasons that teeth become discolored. These include:

• Certain medications and medical treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation around the neck and head, high blood pressure medicine, antibiotics, antihistamines, antipsychotics
• Foods and drinks with strong color pigments, such as coffee, tea, red wines, and colas
• Tobacco products including chewing tobacco
• Tooth decay or injury

Many people get their teeth whitened before getting restorative dental work such as bridges, veneers, crowns, and dentures. These tooth repair and replacement methods are stain-resistant, so they don’t respond to whitening treatments. We recommend having your natural teeth whitened first, and then having the restorations color-matched; that will help them blend in naturally.

GLO^® Science Professional: Dramatic Results with No Sensitivity

Our office in Northampton carries GLO Science Professional, which can take your teeth an average of five shades whiter after one 32-minute session. This revolutionary dual-whitening system is known for providing high-speed results with no tooth sensitivity.

GLO Science Professional uses an innovative mouthpiece that focuses light on your teeth to activate the hydrogen peroxide whitening gel. The gel comes in two strengths, 24% and 30%. We’ll work with you to choose the strength based on your current tooth sensitivity, starting shade, age, and desired result. The closed mouthpiece keeps whitening oxygens from escaping, giving you faster results that last longer.

Opalescence Go^®: Impressive Teeth Whitening at Home

Opalescence Go is one of two professional-strength take-home treatments that our office in Northampton offers.

This product, available only from dentists, comes with disposable trays prefilled with whitening gel, so that you won’t need to mix or measure ingredients over the five to ten days of treatment. The gel comes in two flavors, mint and melon, to avoid an unpleasant taste.

Choose from either 10% hydrogen peroxide or 15% hydrogen peroxide. The whitening gel contains potassium nitrate and fluoride, two ingredients that research shows help reduce cavities, harden tooth enamel, and minimize tooth sensitivity.

To apply, center one of the trays over your upper and lower teeth and bite, then swallow to secure the inner gel. Remove the outer tray; you’ll wear the inner tray for your treatment time, which varies according to the concentration of whitening ingredients. The 10% concentration can be worn for 30 to 60 minutes each day. The 15% concentration can be worn for 15 to 20 minutes each day. Just throw away the tray after your treatment time and brush your teeth when you’re done.

GLO^®: Whiten Teeth at Home or On the Go

For your convenience, our office in Northampton carries an additional home whitening product, the innovative GLO teeth whitening system. This includes a patented mouthpiece and premixed vials of professional-strength bleaching ingredients.

To apply GLO, first brush and floss your teeth, then treat your lips with the enclosed balm. You’ll brush just a pea-size amount of the 9% hydrogen peroxide whitening gel from one vial onto your upper and lower teeth, then insert the special mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is attached to a small remote that uses gentle light and heat to activate and accelerate the whitening process.

Wear the mouthpiece for eight minutes, then rinse and reapply the gel for a total of four consecutive eight-minute treatments. Over five days, you’ll notice a significant difference in your tooth color, an average of five shades brighter. The system is safe and effective to use for up to ten days.

Call Today to Schedule a Teeth Whitening Appointment

If you’re ready to make an appointment, or if you have additional questions about how we can help bring back the brightness in your smile, please call our office in Northampton.