How to Prepare for a Teeth Whitening Procedure

Find out what you can do to make sure you get the best whitening results.

Are you ready to get teeth whitening from your Honolulu, HI cosmetic dentist Dr. Wynn Okuda? Before you do here are some things you should consider to prepare yourself for your upcoming whitening session. teeth whitening

Have you been evaluated by your dentist?

While teeth whitening is a great cosmetic option for many patients, we want to make sure that it is indeed an ideal treatment for you. This means that you will need to schedule an evaluation with your Honolulu dentist beforehand to ensure that your dental stains are right for professional whitening and that you have a healthy smile that is free of decay or gum disease. If we do find that there are any dental issues, we will need to treat those problems before we can whiten your teeth.

Also, we mentioned determining if your dental stains are right for whitening. That’s because even the strength of professional bleaching gel is no match for internal stains. Only external stains cause by eating, drinking and smoking will respond best to this cosmetic treatment. Internal stains caused by trauma or long-term exposure to antibiotics will require a different cosmetic dentistry to get the whiter smile you want.

Do you have sensitive teeth?

Some patients do experience sensitivity after their whitening treatment. If you already deal with sensitive teeth then talk to your Honolulu, HI cosmetic dentist about brushing with desensitizing toothpaste a couple of weeks before your whitening treatment. These toothpastes can go a long way to reducing any sensitivity you may feel during or after your session. Feel free to talk to us about other options you may have to reduce your chance of sensitivity after in-office whitening.

Give yourself enough time

While the procedure itself only takes an hour this doesn’t involve any waiting, prep time or time after your procedure that you may need. The amount of time you spend with us will depend on the results you are looking to achieve. You may also need to come back in for follow-up visits, so make sure to take this into account.

Find out if your smile could benefit from professional in-office whitening from your Honolulu dentist. Contact our office today.