Am I a Candidate for Teeth Whitening

At Redford Dental Care in Carmichael, CA, we offer our patients complete dental care, including many options in cosmetic dentistry. One of the simplest and most popular among them is tooth whitening, and yet many patients wonder if they are a candidate for teeth whitening. This is due to some long-standing myths surrounding this treatment, and we’d like to take a few moments to address (and dismiss) them here.

As your trusted dentist in Carmichael, we might provide teeth whitening for several reasons. The most common reason our patients request such treatments from our cosmetic dentist is that they have an event or special occasion and want their teeth to be bright and white.

However, this is not the only reason a patient is a candidate for teeth whitening. It could be that they are about to have some cosmetic work such as veneers, crowns or bonding done and we suggest whitening to ensure their restorations (and future smile) is as bright as possible. After all, we cannot whiten your restorations but we do base them on the color of surrounding teeth, and so it is important that those teeth are as bright as they can be.

Now, as to those myths and misconceptions about teeth whitening that may make someone believe they are not a candidate for teeth whitening. One of the main qualifiers is that you have good oral health. We will always work with you to ensure any decay or disease is addressed before we do whitening. Another myth is that people with sensitive teeth cannot have it done. This does not make you less of a candidate for teeth whitening, but it does mean we may need to give you a desensitizing toothpaste to use in the days afterward.

What can prevent you from becoming a candidate for teeth whitening is if you have restorations on most of your teeth. Porcelain veneers, dental crowns, dentures, bridges and dental bonding cannot be whitened, and if they represent most your teeth, you may find that whitening is not a worthwhile treatment.

Schedule Your Teeth Whitening Appointment Today

Clearly, what this means is that almost all our patients are candidates for this simple, fast and effective form of cosmetic dentistry. If you are eager to enhance the look of your smile, and do so in a single visit, just get in touch with our Carmichael, CA office at 916-972-8851. You can also use our online contact form and one of our staff will get back to you promptly.