Every bride has most likely heard about the tissue test. This longstanding test passed down through the generations tells you to hold a tissue up to your smile and see which is whiter. A true test for a bride-to-be is what we like to call “The Dress Test”. When you’re trying on your wedding gown, be sure to smile big in the mirror and make sure you’re happy with the result. Your beautiful smile will be forever captured in your wedding photos and if you feel like you could use a little help before your big day, with a little pre-planning, you have some pre-wedding day options that will lead to a picture perfect smile.
Optimal Time to Best Results: 2-3 months
While not the most powerful form of whitening and certainly not the fastest, home whitening toothpaste can offer a minor brightening of your natural tooth shade. These toothpastes contain mild abrasives to gently brush away minor staining but don’t expect any drastic changes. A whitening mouthwash containing a bleaching agent can sometimes provide a small boost to the end result. If you’re not happy with the results, don’t worry, there are still other faster whitening options available to you before your big event.
Optimal Time to Best Results: 2-6 weeks
Whitening strips can be a cost effective option in whitening your teeth. Results can very widely depending on the level of staining which can also greatly impact your treatment time to best results. Whitening strips commonly contain hydrogen peroxide which is a bleaching agent that opens the pores of your teeth and bleaches the underlying enamel. Unfortunately some people react negatively to this process which results in sensitive teeth that can last for several weeks after the treatment. It is also important to remember to stay away from all foods that would stain a white t-shirt which you perform this process. This means no soda, ketchup, sauces and coffee. Whitening strips often provide poor coverage which can result in uneven whitening.
Optimal Time to Best Results: 2-4 weeks
At Vestal Dental, we use professional whitening trays that are custom molded to your smile. These custom trays combined with our prescription whitening formula provide much faster and dramatic results as opposed to over the counter whitening products. Another big advantage to custom trays is that the whitening agent is allowed to fully envelop each tooth for perfectly uniform whitening. Over the counter trays are molded with a generic dental arch which causes settling of the whitening gel where there is no contact with your teeth. For fast results and a dramatic difference in whitening shades, professional teeth whitening at your dentists office is your best option.
With a little pre-planning you’ll have no problem getting a smile you’re happy with on your wedding day. You can even make it a pre-wedding bonding experience by inviting your partner to get their teeth whitened when you do to make your wedding day photos really gleam. Call our office today to schedule your teeth whitening treatment.