Everyone wants a bright, white smile. This is why so many people commit so much time and money to whiten their teeth. 

To achieve a white smile, people can visit their West Somerville Dental cosmetic dentist for a professional whitening and cleaning (for a professional price) or buy the do-it-yourself tooth whitening kit at any local pharmacy.

There are two chemicals typically used to whiten teeth: hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide. The extent of the cleaning involved will determine which chemical is used. Dentists use a powerful hydrogen peroxide gel under closely monitored conditions. The "at-home" kits, feature the lower concentration carbamide gel product and are safer for home use.

How do our teeth get stained? Coffee, tea, smoking and grinding of teeth can affect tooth whiteness, but even those who do not engaged in these habits can experience a change in the color of their teeth as they age. All human beings are born with a different inner tooth color which appears as the tooth's enamel coating wears away during the aging process, upon overexposure to fluoride, or trauma. Such discoloration or staining is referred to as "intrinsic staining." "Extrinsic staining" is staining created by the ingestion of dark-colored drinks such as tea or coffee, smoking, eating habits, genetic influences and habitual teeth grinding.

Though both these types of discoloration can be improved, the final result chiefly depends on the age and level of yellowing of the patient's teeth. Additionally, not all intrinsic stains can be completely whitened through whitening efforts and a good dentist or technician will discuss this with their patient during consultation.

In-House Dental Lab

We will make all of your whitening labwork on site by our seasoned professional technicians.  By having an on-site full service lab, we will make your custom whitening trays while you wait, minimizing your in office time.

The first thing we do is clean your teeth and perform a comprehensive dental exam.  Once the surface of your teeth is ready, we proceed with your selected teeth whitening system.

In-House Whitening

We are experts in DASH professional tooth whitening system, the latest product from the makers of ZOOM. 

To have the process performed by a trained professional takes forty five minutes. The treatment begins with the patient wearing a mouth guard and then having a "rubber guard" painted on the gums. Next, a peroxide gel is applied to the teeth (both arches) and in a few minutes the whitening work is done.  Most patients are provided with take-home kits to maintain their newly brightened teeth, or to address stains that were not entirely eliminated. Patients with newly whitened teeth should not smoke, drink dark beverages like tea or coffee, and should avoid drinking with a straw for quite a few days after the treatment.

Somerville dentists will tell you that in-office professional tooth whitening has the maximum outcome for a reasonable price.

Take-Home Whitening Kits

The take-home tooth whitening kits generally produce very similar results over the course of three week. 

To start, we take an impression of your teeth and using our in-office lab, we make a custom molded whitening trays shaped to the countours of your teeth and gums.  We then give you take home whitening gel with a prescription strenth of 15% Carbamide Perioxide for maximum home use approved by the ADA. 

You wear your trays for approximately 10-30 minutes (based on tooth sensitivity) at night before bedtime until you reach your desired tooth color.