Whitening has become an increasingly popular way to brighten a patient’s smile, whether by bleaching stained teeth or simply adding luster to a slightly dull smile. It’s a safe, largely painless treatment for most patients, however we recommend waiting until your child’s adult teeth have fully come in, usually around age 11 or 12.

There are three primary ways to whiten teeth: via strips, trays or an in-office bleaching. The latter is ideal if you want immediate results, requiring only about an hour of your time: We’ll apply a protective gel to your gums to guard the soft tissue and a light-activated gel to your teeth, then use a special light or laser to clarify and brighten. We’ll give you a gel to take home and detailed instructions for how to use it; you’ll enjoy dramatically whiter teeth that will gleam for years.

Tray whitening is a convenient, less expensive at-home treatment whose results you’ll see more gradually than with an office bleaching. We’ll take an impression of your teeth and create a customized clear tray that will be ready for you within a few days. We’ll give you detailed instructions on how to apply the gel to the trays and how often to do so; you’ll usually begin to notice effects within three to five days, though you’ll see the greatest whitening toward the end of the one- to two-week treatment period.

Finally, you can pick up whitening strips at your local drugstore or at Dr. Gibson’s practice; we’ll be happy to advise you on how to get the best results with this method. Ask about all our whitening options; we’ll help you determine which is likely to give you the best results.