Are your teeth duller than you would like? If so, professional teeth whitening could be an excellent way to significantly brighten your smile. However, before you move forward with this treatment, you may be wondering whether a single session will be enough to fully address the discoloration on your enamel. Just how many whitening sessions will it take to make your smile goals a reality?
What Does Professional Teeth Whitening Involve?
Professional teeth whitening often involves an in-office treatment. During this procedure, your dentist will apply a powerful whitening gel to the surface of your teeth. The ingredients in the gel can break down the molecules that make up stains, thereby giving the teeth a brighter appearance.
Alternatively, you might opt for a take-home whitening kit that contains professional-grade whitening gel and special trays. Each day, you will wear the trays for up to 60 minutes while they’re filled with the gel. The trays will be designed for your specific smile so that the whitening gel is evenly distributed across your teeth.
How Many Teeth Whitening Sessions Will It Take to Brighten Your Smile?
With in-office teeth whitening, the number of sessions required typically depends on the severity of discoloration. A single session is often enough to address lighter stains on the surface of the enamel. On the other hand, heavier stains (such as those left by years of drinking coffee and other dark-colored beverages) may call for two or three sessions.
When it comes to at-home teeth whitening, you’re likely to notice a significant change in the color of your smile after about two weeks. That’s up to 14 days of wearing your whitening trays on a daily basis.
How Can You Help the Results of Teeth Whitening Last Longer?
Once you’ve completed your last teeth whitening session, you will naturally want to do everything you can to ensure the results last as long as possible. If you want to maintain your brighter smile, you should:
- Brush thoroughly twice a day to remove plaque and surface stains.
- Limit your intake of coffee, tomato sauce, and any other foods and beverages that are known to lead to dental discoloration.
- Keep up with your biannual dental appointments so that your dentist can thoroughly clean your smile.
In summary, the number of teeth whitening sessions you need can vary depending on the extent of your whitening stains and the whitening method you choose. You’ll need to speak to your dentist in order to find out how many sessions it will likely take to achieve a more dazzling smile.
About the Author
Dr. Bikram Singh earned his Bachelor of Dental Surgery while living in India, and he received a Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. He holds membership with the North Carolina Dental Society as well as other organizations, and he has kept up with the latest dental technology through continuing education. At Cary Dental Rejuvenation, he uses the KöR teeth whitening system to brighten his patients’ smiles. If you’re interested in teeth whitening, you can schedule an appointment with Dr. Singh by visiting his website, using his online booking tool, or calling (919) 460-5454.