whiten your teeth

During an office visit, the dentist takes highly detailed impressions of the teeth and gumline. Based on those impressions, vinyl trays containing bleaching-gel reservoirs are custom-fabricated.

Resembling the aligners used in contemporary orthodontics, these trays provide a unique fit that compresses right up to the gumline. The intention is to keep the bleaching gel sealed inside, thus preventing gum irritation and the mixing of saliva with the gel.

You return to the dentist's office for a 'conditioning visit.

' The aim here is not to whiten the teeth, but rather to make them more permeable to oxygen. You are sent home with a kit containing your trays, sufficient carbamide peroxide gel to be used overnight for 14 consecutive nights (when saliva flow is at a minimum and least likely to interfere with the peroxide's bleaching action) and a tooth desensitizer contained in a squeeze