"Power Bleach" at the Dentist's Office

• "Bleaching" is the most effective way to whiten your teeth. Once you have it done, you probably will not need to get a touch-up for a few years. The cost, quality and safety of various bleaching techniques varies widely. In general, be aware that all tooth-bleaching might cause tooth sensitivity (especially to very cold food and drinks) during treatment. It is also important to realize that bleaching will not whiten restored teeth. In other words, the color of bonding, laminates or crowns will be unaffected by the bleaching process.
  
  If price is not an issue and you want to get the whole thing over with in one sitting, the "power bleach" is probably the best choice. Also known as "chairside" whitening, this process takes place in your dentist's office and can last anywhere from 30 to 120 minutes. The length of the procedure depends on your dentist's technique and the color change you want to make.
  
  While in the dentist's office, you will be fitted for a dental tray--a mouthpiece that covers your teeth (but not your gums). A bleaching gel of highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide, with the active ingredient carbamide peroxide, will fill the tray. Your teeth will sit in this treatment for 30 to 60 minutes.
  
  With the help of heat and light exposure from the dentist's laser instruments, the gel breaks down. As this occurs, oxygen enters the enamel and the dentin of your teeth and bleaches only the colored substances. The structure of your teeth does not change. It is not like sanding down your teeth, as many fear, nor does it affect the chemical makeup of your teeth.
  
  The price range for chairside treatment is quite broad because there are frequent discounts on the procedure.