How to Prepare for Professional Teeth Whitening

How to Prepare for Professional Teeth Whitening

Many of us choose to have professional teeth whitening services. While our teeth can easily become discolored, teeth whitening is a great way to keep a bright, healthy smile. However, before scheduling this common dental procedure, there are some things to keep in mind. 

In this post, we’ll talk about how to properly prepare for a professional teeth whitening session. 

Consider the following to have a smooth and stress-free dental procedure:

Get a Dental Checkup

It’s important to see a dentist for a routine checkup before a teeth whitening appointment. This ensures the procedure is right for our needs. As teeth whitening materials can be problematic on sensitive teeth, we need to make sure it’s a good fit. Also, some stains can’t be removed with professional teeth whitening. That said, it’s essential to see a dentist to determine if the procedure makes sense.

During a checkup appointment, a dentist can examine the teeth to find out if we’re a good candidate. As these procedures can’t get out every stain, it’s important to make sure teeth whitening is worth it. Luckily, this procedure is effective at getting out several common stains. Seeing a dentist for a checkup beforehand can save tons of hassle and stress!

Have a Professional Cleaning

While it’s crucial to have a dental checkup before teeth whitening, professional cleaning also makes a lot of sense. While having a white smile is the main goal, ensuring proper dental health is even more essential. Before moving forward with the procedure, cleaning is a vital step in the preparation process!

During a cleaning appointment, a dentist will look for any signs of gum disease, cavities, and tooth decay. If whitening material is added to teeth with any of these problems, this can lead to several costly and painful issues. Once the teeth are properly examined, the dentist will complete the professional cleaning. This helps to remove any surface stains, plaque, and tartar, which can all impact the effectiveness of the teeth whitening procedure. Whitening material works best on clean teeth, so it’s essential to have professional cleaning services!

Find the Right Shade

During a teeth whitening session, we have the option to choose the shade we want on our teeth. After seeing the dentist for a professional checkup and cleaning, the next step involves choosing the shade color. To accomplish this, a dentist will hold up different shades to our teeth until we find our desired color. It’s best to choose a shade that closely resembles our existing color of teeth. 

Desensitize Your Teeth

Teeth whitening substances can be problematic for sensitive teeth. That said, it’s important to desensitize the teeth before the whitening process. A great way to do this involves using desensitizing toothpaste like Sensodyne. However, we can also desensitize our teeth by avoiding acidic foods, bruising more gently, and using mouthwash less often.

Schedule an Appointment

From routine dental checkups to professional teeth whitening services, Ideal Dental is here to provide trusted services from experienced dentists. Find your local Ideal Dental office and schedule an appointment today.