Teeth Whitening Frequently Asked Questions

What causes stains?
Acidic and strongly pigmented food, drink, tobacco as well as normal aging cause the staining that makes your teeth appear discolored. WhiteScience’s products remove stains by penetrating the tooth structure, erasing stains and rejuvenating the color of your teeth.

How does teeth whitening work?
Teeth whitening is principally a cosmetic procedure that removes stains and gives your teeth the appearance of a whiter and brighter smile. Like all cosmetic procedures, you cannot change your natural DNA. The color of your teeth cannot change to a different color than what you had when your adult teeth replaced your baby teeth. You can alter the natural base color of your teeth only by having a cosmetic dentist replace your natural tooth structure with synthetic materials such as veneers, crowns or implants.

How many shades should I expect to see?
Most customers will see an improvement of 2 to 6 shades on the Vident scale, through either a SpaWhite or SolarWhite session. As with any cosmetic treatment, the degree of improvement is greatly influenced by the customer’s age, dental health (particularly in the health of tooth enamel), thickness of enamel, general health, genetics, and personal or dietary habits. Regularity and quality of dental care, brushing and flossing habits as well as diet, smoking and use of certain prescription or recreational drugs can have significant effects on who white an individual’s teeth will get.

Are the WhiteScience products safe and will they hurt my enamel?
Classified as a cosmetic product by the FDA, hydrogen peroxide is the active ingredient in teeth whitening and has been safely used for centuries. WhiteScience’s patented process is designed to be very safe and effective without causing any harm to healthy enamel. Some individuals have demineralized enamel (sometimes inaccurately called calcium deposits). This is a weakening in the enamel and is usually due to insufficient brushing and flossing. This condition is often seen after braces have been removed, since the braces “mask” the teeth from the dentifirice. Teeth that have demineralized areas will be whiter than the normal tooth structure causing a “spotty” type of appearance. This will normalize in a few days. Demineralized enamel is very porous, so it absorbs whitening and stains far faster than healthy enamel. Cosmetically this condition can be minimized by aggressive use of the WhiteICE maintenance product.

Will I experience any sensitivity?
WhiteScience’s products have been developed in such a way that the vast majority of customers will experience mild to no sensitivity. With the mild sensitivity, you may experience a sensation of “scrubbing bubbles” on their teeth. Peroxide is an antiseptic and reacts to germs and bacteria. All cleansing and whitening products will have a few customers who will feel a sense of discomfort or tooth sensitivity. A small percentage of customers will experience “blanching”, where the peroxide in the pads affects sensitive portions of the customers gums causing them to turn white. This may result in irritation or sensitivity for a short period of time. In rare instances, a customer may wake up the next day with a blister caused by the interaction of the peroxide with their gums. This is not harmful, but rather a healthy healing process to cure gums. If a customer’s discomfort persists for more than one hour, they can rub vitamin E oil on the sensitive areas. Please note: sensitivity due to the use of peroxide products is actually highlighting an area that needed antiseptic attention and is an alert for the customer to seek periodontal treatment.

How long will my results last?
In most cases, a SpaWhite or SolarWhite treatment can last up to a year when observing good dental hygiene. You may notice fading anywhere from three months to a year after treatment, depending on your use of staining agents. Most customers find that repeating the process two to four times per year keeps their teeth consistently white. Additional use of the WhiteICE maintenance product and whitening toothpaste, will extend and even improve the whitening results.

Will it work on caps and crowns?
Both SpaWhite and SolarWhite will remove stains on caps and crowns, but it will not change their original color. It is not intended to lighten artificial teeth, caps, crowns, veneers, porcelain, composite (white) fillings, or other restorative materials. The color of these structures will remain the color they were when installed.

How long after my treatment should I refrain from eating or drinking?
It is best not to eat or drink any dark colored food or beverage for 24 hours after treatment. If you must drink a dark colored beverage, use a straw to avoid soaking the teeth in the liquid.

Who is NOT a candidate for treatment?
Standard dental and medical protocol is that anyone in their third trimester of pregnancy should avoid any elective procedures. Additionally, anyone considering dental restorations, periodontal or endodontal procedures should complete their treatment before whitening their teeth.

WhiteScience’s family of products have been scientifically developed and formulated to achieve visible whitening results in as little as 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the product. Some call this a miracle, we call it innovation. Of course, our process will only take teeth back to where they were before all the coffee, red wine and nicotine took its toll. The WhiteScience whitening process is safe and effective, providing your clients with natural-looking instant results.