The Brunswick News

When Robin Moxley looked in the mirror, she found something that troubled her. The Jesup resident felt that her teeth just weren’t as white as she wanted them to be.

“I’m a coffee drinker so they were stained and I didn’t like the yellow,” she said.

Moxley went online and found Brunswick dentist Angela Britt. She and her whole family decided to have their teeth whitened.

They aren’t alone. Teeth whitening is still popular even in a down economy. The old adage that “a smile increases your face value” is proving true. Perhaps that’s why many people still choose to invest in their pearly whites.

Britt definitely believes it boosts self esteem.

“Smiling makes you feel good all over and a healthy brighter smile helps you feel good about yourself. I also think that a smile says a lot about a person’s overall appearance. A whiter, brighter smile enhances self-esteem and helps one to open up and shine,” she said.

Britt also says that makeover shows have added to the buzz about the procedure.

“It is a relatively easy and fast way to brighten a smile. The whitening procedures became very popular with the makeover shows and continues to be popular,” she said.

With advances in technology, there are a number of new whitening applications available. At her office at 110 Professional Center Dr. in Brunswick, Britt offers a number of these techniques to clients.

“Our office offers Zoom Chairside, a 45-minute treatment with an average change of eight shades. You get immediate results,” she said.

Britt says that it is a long-lasting treatment that yields less fading. It’s also safe and comfortable.

“It is performed by a dental professional. We cover the lips and gums, leaving only the teeth exposed. We apply the Zoom whitening gel, which is further activated by the Zoom lamp,” she said.

“The Zoom light and gel work together to gently penetrate the teeth, breaking up stains and discoloration. We do include take home touch-up trays with our chair-side procedure so that patients can continue to maintain the whitening results at home.”

Britt offers other treatments too.

“For take-home trays, we take impressions in the office so that the patient has custom-fit trays. The treatment time is seven to 14 days on average with a change of six shades. It is self-applied in trays but does not have immediate results.”

There are whitening strips, gels and toothpaste. The whitening strips and paint on gel typically take longer to yield results. This usually takes from seven to 30 days on average. Teeth only change three to four shades

“It can result in inconsistent tooth whitening with no immediate results,” she said.

As for toothpaste, results can take a month or longer with possible changes of only one to two shades.

“The results fade if you stop using the toothpaste and it only works on stains that are on the tooth surface such as coffee or tea,” Britt said.

One of the most important things about teeth whitening is being prepared. Dentist Susan Bishop’s office, 123 Main St., Plantation Village, St. Simons Island is a general and cosmetic practice. She sees both children and adults and provides a variety of services including teeth whitening.

“We offer the Biolase Laser, which allows us to perform many procedures without the use of a drill or anesthesia, and we are certified and licensed to provide Conscience Sedation for stress free dentistry,” she said.

But she does caution patients before going through with a procedure.

“Patients should have a complete dental exam with x-rays to make certain that there is no decay present before starting any whitening procedure. Only natural tooth structure can be whitened,” she said.

“Resin (tooth colored) fillings, crowns and bridges and veneers will not lighten during bleaching procedures. Patients should also be aware that some sensitivity is a normal side effect of bleaching and is only temporary. There are steps that can be taken to minimize this sensitivity.”

One of the most important aspects of teeth whitening is keeping it safe. Both Britt and Bishop stress that patients must have procedures preformed by a dental professional.

“The bleaching options that we offer our patients utilize materials that have been tested and approved by the ADA so patients can be assured of their safety. All procedures are performed and monitored by certified and licensed staff members and Dr. Bishop,” Bishop said.

“It is extremely important that all bleaching procedures are monitored by a licensed dentist to insure optimum results and to prevent injury to teeth and gums.”

Credit: The Brunswick News, Ga.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 1:53 pm and is filed under dental care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.