Teeth Whitening is the Quickest Way to Look Years Younger

Your smile is one of your most valuable social assets — that’s why you brush twice a day, floss without fail, and have regular dental cleanings and exams. But even if your stellar oral hygiene habits help you maintain optimal oral health, they may not keep your pearly whites as white as you’d like. 

Tooth enamel may be prone to stains and discoloration, but that doesn’t mean you must live with a dull, lackluster smile. 

Board Certified Dentist Jason Ray, located in Santa Monica, California, offers in-office teeth whitening and professional-grade take-home whitening kits. 

Here’s how professional teeth whitening can take years off your appearance. 

Understanding tooth discoloration

For as smooth as the surface of your teeth may look and feel, it’s actually quite bumpy under the microscope. That’s because enamel contains countless imperceptible indentations or tiny grooves that can act as a reservoir for food and liquid residues. 

Because regular brushing and flossing can’t completely clear away these trapped residues, they slowly build up on your teeth. Over time, this ongoing process can darken or stain your enamel until it’s noticeably discolored. 

The color of your teeth is a product of two factors: The pigments that determine their natural shade (as unique as your skin and hair color) and the type of stain molecules trapped within their microstructure. Stain molecules that contain more chromophores, such as those found in coffee, tea, red wine, and berries, cause a greater degree of discoloration.

Even if you don’t drink a lot of black tea or eat a lot of blueberries, your teeth may still start to take on a slightly yellowish hue as you grow older and your enamel gets thinner, allowing the underlying layer of dentin to show through.  

Say goodbye to dull, dingy teeth.

As one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry offerings, professional whitening has come a long way since chairside bleaching was the only option. Today, thanks to ongoing advances in whitening techniques and technologies, this simple and highly effective treatment is faster and safer than ever before. 

In-office whitening

After removing any plaque or tartar, polishing your teeth, and carefully shielding your lips and gums, Dr. Ray applies a thin layer of clinical-strength, non-abrasive whitening gel across your enamel. 

Then, he uses a special LED blue light to activate the gel’s whitening agents and accelerate the breakdown of persistent stain molecules. He repeats this easy 15-minute process three times, applying the gel and activating it with light until your teeth reach the desired shade of white. 

Your smile, up to eight shades brighter

One 45-minute session is all it takes to get a beautifully whiter smile up to eight shades brighter on the VITA enamel color scale. 

As a fully customizable treatment that considers your current degree of discoloration and personal smile goals, in-office whitening delivers perfect results every time, whether you’re looking for a subtle boost or a dramatic change.  

This advanced whitening solution delivers outstanding results without dehydrating your teeth or making your enamel feel more sensitive.  

Professional-grade take-home whitening kits

Take-home teeth whitening kits include custom plastic mouthpieces that you line with our whitening solution and wear for several hours when it aligns with your schedule. Our kits contain whitening gel that is substantially more important than solutions purchased over the counter. Use your at-home kit from the start or to maintain the results of your in-office treatment.

Book an appointment with Dr. Eaton to whiten your smile and look younger. Call the Santa Monica office at 209-274-2429 or request an appointment online.