Are you the kind of person who gets caught up in the latest fads? Maybe you have a pile of barely-used fitness devices in your closet, or bottles of creams and ointments in your medicine cabinet that didn’t quite live up to their hype.
At first, teeth whitening treatments looked like they could be a short-lived fad. They first became widely popular in the early 1990s, and many, many dentists and their patients experimented with the various products and procedures that manufacturers offered.
Unlike most health, fitness, and beauty trends, however, teeth whitening in Raleigh, NC has stood the test of time. Here’s a quick history of this cosmetic dentistry procedure and why it remains one of the most profitable services you can ask your dentist about.
Ask us about our safe, convenient teeth whitening services.
Not As New As You Think
Many people are surprised to learn that hundreds and even thousands of years ago, people experimented to find a way to remove staining from their teeth and get them back to a healthy, beautiful white color.
These methods had varying degrees of effectiveness and safety, but in the end they all applied some type of chemical to the teeth that ate away at staining particles. Often, those chemicals also stripped away some of the tooth’s enamel in the process, weakening their defense against decay and infection.
Teeth Whitening in the ‘90s
One of the biggest factors in teeth whitening in the 1990s was coming up with chemical solutions that were capable of removing stains (or simply covering them up) but would not damage the enamel of the teeth.
This is a very difficult balance to achieve, and even today, most “over-the-counter” teeth whitening systems come with specific instructions to prevent tooth damage. Those products that conceal rather than remove discoloration are safer, but only achieve temporary whitening and must be reapplied after a few weeks.
Dentist Involvement
The biggest new element of teeth whitening throughout the ‘90s, and the most exciting one for consumers, was the ability to perform teeth whitening at home, without the assistance of a professional dentist. This sounds very convenient in theory, but in practice patients found—and still do—that it is very difficult to achieve results that are anything more than partial and temporary without a dentist’s guidance.
For best cosmetic dentistry results, work with New Hope Dental Care.
In-Office Treatments
Alongside at-home methods, the cosmetic dentistry field also saw the development of in-office treatments, often using more powerful chemicals and advanced technologies, such as light energy beams that accelerate the activation of chemicals and speed the process.
These treatments are still being perfected, and there remains disagreement among dental professionals about their safety and long-term effects. Most patients also find it difficult to spend the amount of time necessary at their dentist’s office to receive multiple in-office treatments and complete the process.
Dentist-Supervised Teeth Whitening
Today, many dentists and their patients find it most beneficial to follow a procedure that falls somewhere between at-home and in-office teeth whitening.
With this system, your dentist, who ideally has a clear picture of your oral health history and current health, chooses a teeth whitening system that is customized to meet your needs. You then administer that system yourself at home, following your dentist’s instructions.
While this system provides a high level of convenience, comparable to that of over-the-counter methods, it also ensures that your dentist is able to keep your teeth safe and make any necessary adjustments along the way.
Teeth Whitening at New Hope Dental Care
At New Hope Dental Care, we offer our patients extremely high-quality teeth whitening services, fully supervised and tailored to their needs by Dr. Eric Ladimer. We’ve worked hard to create a great balance between convenience, effectiveness, and safety, and our cosmetic dentistry patients respond with five-star reviews!
Teeth whitening is no passing fad—you know from experience what a fantastic first impression a gleaming, beautiful smile makes. Dr. Eric Ladimer and our entire staff here at New Hope Dental Care are ready and able to help you achieve that smile for yourself and regain a sense of confidence in every social situation.