Dental Blog - Billings, MT

When considering teeth whitening products, you have many choices. Over-the-counter whitening packages and whitening toothpaste work, but they take time and may be messy. Dr. Thomas offers two alternatives that provide excellent results.

Bright Smile

Bright Smile is a treatment applied by Dr. Thomas in an office treatment that can whiten teeth discolored by aging or staining from or drinking and eating stain causing foods. A carbamide peroxide teeth whitening gel is carefully applied to the teeth. Then a gentle blue light activates the gel in about 20 minutes while you relax. The process is repeated twice more before you go home with your naturally brilliant new smile. The Bright Smile system uses no laser, heat or scraping.

Custom Fit Tray

Another option is a whitening tray that is custom fit to your mouth and teeth. You schedule an appointment for Dr. Thomas to make an impression of your teeth and mouth, then sends it off to the lab where your custom whitening tray is made. This process takes about two weeks and you are ready to take it home. Teeth whitening trays ensure the whitening gel adheres to your teeth for the duration of each whitening session. With over-the-counter trays, the gel doesn’t always stay close to the teeth and may not whiten the spaces between teeth.

Once you take the tray home, you apply the gel to the front inner surface of the tray and keep it on for a few hours every day or overnight, depending on the severity of the stains. On average, it takes 5-7 consecutive days but can take longer with severely stained teeth.

Carbamide Peroxide Gel 

The gel used is a carbamide peroxide teeth whitening gel that is a slow acting bleach that Dr. Thomas can supply for the office treatment or the custom at-home tray treatment. Carbamide peroxide teeth whitening gel is certified safe by the American Dental Association.