What is the protocol for whitening teeth using a tray-based bleaching system?

» Should you whiten just one arch or two?

During the examination appointment you and your dentist must decide if you will whiten both your upper and lower teeth, or just one or the other. Usually a person's greatest concern is the appearance of their front upper teeth and some people start out by just bleaching them.

There can be some good reasons to approach the whitening process in this fashion. One of them is related to the fact that a person's unbleached teeth can provide a source of comparison. The contrast between the treated and untreated teeth can make it easy to see exactly what progress is being made. Sometimes this ready reference provides a source of encouragement and helps to motivate the person to continue on with their bleaching regimen.

Another reason people sometimes only bleach their upper or lower teeth is related to cost. Dentists typically charge for teeth whitening by the arch. An "arch" is dental terminology for either the upper or lower teeth. A person's complete set of teeth is composed of two arches. If you whiten just one arch you can anticipate that your costs will be approximately half of what you would pay to bleach both arches. After you have successfully bleached one arch you can, of course, always begin the whitening process with your other arch.

During the examination process your dentist will identify any dental work which exists on those teeth you have chosen to whiten. It is imperative for you to realize that the shade of existing dental restorations will not lighten (with some exceptions). Restorations that exist on whitened teeth will need to be replaced after the bleaching process has been completed. Prior to initiating the whitening process you should be aware of the amount of time and the cost that will be associated with performing this dental work. It might be substantial.

B) Taking impressions for the bleaching trays.

One important feature of dentist-dispensed tray-based teeth whitening systems, and one that both increases their effectiveness and minimizes their side effects, is that they employ the use of "custom" bleaching trays. As their name implies, these whitening trays are individually fabricated and fitted for the person who will wear them.

The first step involved in the process of creating custom bleaching trays is for your dentist to take impressions of your teeth. From these impressions your dentist will create plaster the casts. The bleaching trays will then be crafted on these casts. In most cases, once your dental impressions have been taken your dentist will need at least a few days to complete the tray fabrication process.

C) Fitting the custom bleaching trays.

( Related content: Custom bleaching trays offer a superior fit. )
( Related content: Advantages of trays that have whitener reservoirs. )

Once your custom bleaching trays have been fabricated your dentist will ask you to make an appointment to return to their office. During this visit they will evaluate, and refine as necessary, the fit of your bleaching trays.

The bleaching trays themselves are usually clear. Typically they are made from a soft flexible plastic. One bleaching tray is made for your upper teeth and a separate one is made for your lower teeth. Custom bleaching trays are usually trimmed so they fully cover each tooth but come just short of lying on your gum tissue.

You may be tempted to purchase an over-the-counter at-home teeth whitening kit rather than obtain your whitening products from your dentist. A big difference between these two sources is the type of whitening tray that is used for your treatments. Your dentist will fabricate for you your own custom whitening trays. In comparison, a store-bought kit will contain stock bleaching trays. The links below outline some of the advantages and benefits that custom bleaching trays can provide.

D) Your dentist will demonstrate how to place teeth whitener in the bleaching trays.

During the dental appointment when your bleaching trays are fitted your dentist will dispense to you an initial quantity of teeth whitener (10% carbamide peroxide). In most cases this whitener will be a thick gel that comes in small syringes or a plastic bottle. Your dentist will show you how to place small dabs of the whitener into your bleaching trays. As a means of minimizing the amount of whitening gel that is used during each application, the whitener is usually just placed in those aspects of the tray that touch the front side of your teeth and only in those portions of the tray that cover over the teeth you want to lighten.

After the whitener has been placed into the tray and the tray has been positioned over your teeth, there will usually be some excess gel that escapes from the tray onto your gums. As a way of minimizing the potential for gum irritation, it is best to wipe this excess whitener away with your finger or a toothbrush.