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Sunday, June 23, 2013

By Lucy Cho


The reasons to consult a Sacramento family dentist vary from person to person. The need for services ranges from correction of cavities to gum disease to issues with alignment of the jaw. Protection and preservation of teeth is provided by invaluable dental services. Dentists also provide services that in extreme cases control or even prevent bacterial infections of the gums and jaw. This is important because serious bacterial infections can become fatal if body systems become septic. Services offered at Sacramento Dental can both enhance and assure preservation of your smile.

A Sacramento family dentist can restore and preserve your teeth. A dentist can offer many procedures that are intended solely to improve function. Examples include: fillings, veneers, tooth shaping, bridges, gum lifts, and even braces. These procedures aid in keeping teeth and gums healthy. Cosmetic procedures, performed by Sacramento Dental almost as commonly as functional procedures, do not necessarily improve function of the teeth; however, that does not negate their importance. Tooth whitening, commonly referred to as "bleaching", is by far the most common esthetics-only procedure performed in dental offices. Tooth whitening is very popular, causing many people to ask what tooth whitening is and how it works. They are also curious about the differences between at-home systems and in-office systems. And a final consideration is the costs associated with tooth whitening.

A Sacramento family dentist can perform in-office tooth whitening and also get a patient ready to perform at-home whitening procedures for themselves. Both procedures involve the use of peroxide-based materials to whiten teeth. Whether it is an in-office whitening procedure or at-home whitening, prior to any treatment, patients should have all cavities filled and gums should be healthy. Often times whitening procedures produce sensitivity, which can become unbearable if either cavities are present or gums are unhealthy. The procedure itself involves peroxide gels being applied to the teeth in order to oxidize stains. With either type of tooth whitening, teeth can become four to six shades lighter in a fairly short period of time.

Most in-office tooth whitening systems require the use of 35% hydrogen peroxide gels coupled with high intensity light in order to whiten teeth. Some in-office systems require the gums to be completely covered prior to utilizing a laser in order to protect them from damage. Other systems have minimum risk of damage, making this step unnecessary. Regardless of the gums being covered or not, the gel is applied to the teeth and a laser or plasma light is then used to activate the peroxide. This activation is what actually allows for oxidization of stains on the tooth surfaces. This process is generally fairly fast and takes approximately one hour from start to finish. Cost for this procedure is $500 - $1,100, depending on the type of laser used and the procedure performed.

At-home systems differ because they do not use a laser and also employ a slightly different gel (generally 10 - 20% carbamine peroxide gels). Oxidizing stains still occurs with at-home systems. If this is the option of choice, a Sacramental family dentist takes an impression of both the upper and lower palette. Soft plastic trays are then made, customized to the patient's individual mouth. Each night the patient fills the trays with a ribbon of gel and wears the trays while they sleep. Whitening occurs within one or two weeks. Cost for at-home whitening gels and individualized trays is between $400 - $800.

A Sacramento family dentist can offer you a consultation to see if tooth whitening at Sacramento Dental will meet with your tooth whitening needs.




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