I’d Like a Brighter Smile; How Many Teeth Whitening Sessions Will I Need?

Almost everyone would like a shinier grin, and teeth whitening is a remarkably effective cosmetic dental treatment that can brighten smiles and lift stubborn stains and discoloration. However, some patients may require two or more teeth whitening sessions to attain their ideal smiles. Here’s a brief guide to how the teeth whitening process works and why multiple sessions may be necessary.

How Does Professional Teeth Whitening Work?

Your dentist can administer a teeth whitening treatment in one of two ways, those being:

• An in-office treatment: This process can be completed in about an hour, and it delivers amazing results. The dentist will place barriers in the patient’s mouth to protect the soft tissues before applying a few coats of whitening agent to the teeth and treating them with a specialized UV light to activate the stain-fighting effects.
• A customized take-home kit: This will come with personalized dental trays designed to fit your teeth and a tube of professional-grade whitening gel. You’ll need to apply the gel to the trays and wear them for about an hour daily for two weeks to achieve a brighter grin.

Both these treatments are incredibly noninvasive and require no anesthesia, and they can whiten teeth by up to eight shades.

How Many Teeth Whitening Treatments Will I Need?

In many cases, a single teeth whitening treatment will be all a patient needs to achieve their desired results. However, some people may need more than one session due to reasons like:

• Severe stains: Some stains and discolorations are located especially deep inside the enamel, so lifting them may require more whitening treatments.
• Genetic conditions: Some people are born with inherited conditions that can make their teeth appear more yellowish, bluish, or grayish than would be considered ideal, and it may take several whitening treatments to address this issue.
• Early antibiotic exposure: Young children who receive tetracycline antibiotics can develop permanent dental discoloration. Brightening these grins may require multiple teeth whitening sessions.

Teeth whitening can be an excellent cosmetic dental solution even if you have severely discolored teeth. Consulting with your dentist can help you find the best way to address your stains and determine how many whitening sessions may be necessary.

About the Practice

North Jacksonville Complete Dentistry offers the finest oral health services in town. Led by Drs. William D. Baxter, Tam Truong, and Tim Bradberry, the staff ensures that each patient receives compassionate care and excellent customer service. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dentistry such as teeth whitening. To schedule your cosmetic dental consultation, contact the office online or dial (904) 751-4958.