The most typically recognized tooth whitening is at-home whitening with custom trays.  These trays are generally fabricated by the dentist by using an exact replica of your teeth.

A custom tray is desirable over a generic tray in that it keeps the whitening gel exactly where it is wanted, on the teeth.  Whitening gel can bleach and even burn the gums, so keeping it on the teeth only is very important.

Custom trays can be filled with either hydrogen peroxide (usually .5-1 hour use) or carbamide peroxide (usually overnight use) gels of varying percentages.  These gels are less concentrated that the gels used by dentists in order to maintain the safety of the patient.

Tray whitening at home is a great way for just about anyone to whiten their teeth, and is also great as a follow up to in-office whitening to maintain the brighter shade.

Tooth Whitening – CONS:
The main disadvantage of tooth whitening is sensitivity.  Often after whitening, pateints will experience transient sensitivity that ranges from mild to severe, hours to days.  Dr. Jan Linhart’s PearlinBrite laser whitening is specially formulated to REDUCE sensitivity, however elimination of sensitivity cannot be assured.

There are ways, however, to moderate and reduce sensitivity following whitening.  These include

1.) Brushing with a high fluoride/sensitivity toothpaste for a couple of weeks prior and after whitening (eg Sensodyne, Prevident 5000)

2.) Taking an OTC painkiller immediately following the procedure (eg Advil, Tylenol)

3.) Making sure to apply gel only to whites of teeth, and not exposed roots or gums

Stay tuned for part 3, at home OTC whitening products!

In-office tooth whitening is, with little questions, the most effective and quickest form of tooth whitening available to the general public.  In-office whitening usually involves applying hydrogen peroxide gel to the teeth, and then increasing their effects by activating them with light and/or lasers.

PearlinBrite Laser whitening, developed by Dr. Jan Linhart, DDS, uses different percentage Hydrogen Peroxide gels, specially formulated by our own chemist, to obtain the maximum effect.  Freshness and quality of the gel is extremely important to achieve maximum whitening effect.  After the gel is applied, it is activated by two different lasers in order to increase oxidation.  This procedure was created by Dr. Linhart, from his 30 years of experience in the dental profession.

Other in-office whitening systems, such as Zoom(R) and BriteSmile(R), also use gels and lights in the dental office to achieve whitening.

In-office tooth whitening usually takes between 1-3 hours, and can significantly increase the brightness and whiteness of your teeth. See www.drlinhart.com/pearlinbrite.html for more info.

Usually, in-office whitening is followed by at home gel applications in custom trays, which is used to touch-up and enhance the effects of the in-office system.

Our next post will talk about these at-home systems, and talk about the negative effects whitening may have.

Leave any questions or comments in the comments section, or e-mail them in to Zachary@drlinhart.com.

You see and hear about tooth whitening everywhere, in the paper, magazines, on the radio, and on TV.  Laser whitening, light activated whitening, take home whitening kits, whitening strips, whitening toothpastes, are all different ways that you can whiten your teeth.  But, there are significant differences between the different methods, and different end results.  Here I will break them down one by one, in a 4 part series, so that you can choose which is best for you.

First, we need a bit of background though.  There are two main types of tooth whitening gels that are used in a variety of the whitening techniques.  They are Hydrogen Peroxide and Carbamide peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is generally used for short applications, such as a 1 hour session, and comes in ranges from 5%-20% (at home) and 20%-50% (in office) gels.  Carbamide peroxide, similarly, comes in a range of strengths for different uses, but tends to be used for longer periods, like overnight use, as it breaks down to form hydrogen peroxide.

This 4 part series, over the next week or so, will be on these topics:

1) In-office professional tooth whitening (PearlinBrite Laser Whitening, Zoom, BriteSmile, etc)

2) At-home gels (carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide with custom trays)

3) At-home OTC products (White strips, prefab trays, etc)

4) Whitening toothpastes (PearlinBrite, Crest, Colgate)

Stay tuned for part 1 in the next few days!

So it’s been a while since I have updated the blog, sorry to all you loyal readers.  Dental school has been extrememly busy, and every day I get to try new things, attempt new procedures, and learn new techniques.

I have already performed a couple of veneer procedures; however most patients that come in don’t know what porcelain veneers are.

Porcelain veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that are laid over the visible surfaces of teeth, usually front teeth.  These thin pieces of porcelain can change a smile from one that is dreary, dark, crooked, and decayed, into something beautiful and healthy.

They are not for everyone, and they can be expensive.  But under the right circumstances, veneers are a great way to significantly modify your smile.

Post in the comments or shoot me a message if you have any specific questions about porcelain veneers.  More posts to come soon!

Yes, you do. Implants are a revolution in dentistry. Pioneered by Dr. Leonard Linkow, implants are, in simplistic terms, screws. They are placed into the jaw where teeth are missing to act as roots. They can then be restored with crowns, dentures, or other prostheses.

Implants are truly the best way to fix a broken smile. Although bridges and dentures work, they do not have the longevity, simplicity, or ease of use that implants provide.

Have any questions on implants?  Leave them in the comments.

When acid producing bacteria build up on your teeth, trouble is sure to ensue.  Cavities are the bane of a dentist’s existence.  Without them, we would most likely be out of the job, living on the streets, injecting ourselves with the left over novocaine.

However, even the miracle chemical Fluoride has far from eliminated cavities.  So, what happens when the acid erodes your teeth and forms a hole, or cavity?

Well, the bacteria must be removed, and that is accomplished by the dreaded drills that strike fear into the eyes of most dentist-goers.  We drill out the cavities in different ways, depending on where they are.  Most cavities occur on the chewing surfaces of back molars.  Other usual suspects though are between the back and front teeth.

Once all of the tooth decay is drilled and scooped out of the tooth, a filling material is put in the hole in order to keep the tooth from getting recurrent (new) decay in the area.

“Silver fillings contain mercury which can cause serious birth defects and life-threatening illnesses,” some people say.  That is completely 100% false and there has been zero evidence to show it it be true.  The amount of mercury in amalgam (silver) fillings is minuscule, and it is in a form that is harmless to humans.  Amalgam fillings last a long time, and have a great success rate, however in today’s image conscious society, who wants metal in their mouth?

Composite fillings are the way of the future.  Tooth-colored composites can be matched exactly to a person’s natural tooth color, making them invisible to the untrained eye.  Although they tend not to last as long as silver fillings, and can leak if not inserted properly, advances in composite technology show that one day they will make amalgam obsolete.

So, composite or amalgam is packed into the drilled out hole in your tooth, and then shaved down to resemble the original tooth.

All said and done, and expert like Dr. Linhart can perform an average filling anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on its size.  For a newcomer like myself, a 2 hour filling gives me pride.

Have any questions about fillings?  Let me know in the comments.