Take Home Trays | Smile Design Dental Center (2024)

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What are Take Home Trays?

Easy and cost-effective, take-home trays are a bleaching procedure that uses custom-made take-home whitening trays to put a healthier look back into your smile without the cost of other cosmetic treatments.

Although there are many over-the-counter products available for whitening teeth without dentist supervision, the most effective and safest whitening treatment that the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) recommends is using custom-fitted mouth trays made by your dentist.

How Whitening Your Teeth with Take Home Trays Works

The take-home tray whitening process is comfortable and only requires a short visit to your dentist. Before starting the whitening process, your dentist will clean your teeth and treat any existing dental problems like cavities or gum disease. The next step is making your custom take-home whitening trays, sometimes called stents or custom bleach splints. After taking an impression of your teeth, your dentist will use the molds to make your trays. Durable, lightweight, and clear, the trays usually take a couple of days to be made.

Once made, these trays can then be taken home and used along with guidelines from your dentist. For at-home use, your dentist will instruct you to place a small amount of the bleaching solution into the clear trays and wear the trays for up to four hours a day for one to two weeks.

After the trays are used and removed, they need to be cleaned with a Q-tip or a cloth and rinsed. It's typically not recommended to use whitening trays for multiple days in a row, but they can be re-used over time to whiten your smile. 2-3 times a week is a good rule of thumb. It's important to note that if your teeth have dark, tough stains, not just light staining, it can take longer to obtain great results with whitening trays than with other treatments.

Overall, patients are amazed at how much whitening takes place during this time, and an occasional treatment now and then is all you need to keep your teeth looking their best. If you are looking to achieve a beautiful smile, turn to Smile Design Dental Center for take-home trays and other teeth whitening services in O'Fallon. For more information call us at 636-272-3503.

Take Home Trays | Smile Design Dental Center (2024)

FAQs

How many days in a row can you whiten your teeth? ›

It's typically not recommended to use whitening trays for multiple days in a row, but they can be re-used over time to whiten your smile. 2-3 times a week is a good rule of thumb.

Do dental trays work? ›

A custom whitening tray fits well on a patient's teeth, which leads to improved whitening as their teeth are evenly immersed in the bleaching agent. The mouth tray also helps prevent the bleaching solution from getting into the person's gums during treatment.

How do custom whitening trays work? ›

Here is how they work: Professional-Grade Whitening Gel: Custom teeth whitening trays are used in conjunction with professional-grade teeth whitening gel. This gel contains a higher concentration of active whitening agents, usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, than over-the-counter products.

Why do my teeth look more yellow after whitening? ›

Teeth can become temporarily dehydrated after using whitening strips. Your teeth may appear more yellow as a result of this dehydration because the enamel may become dry and lack moisture. Dehydrated enamel sometimes has a transparent appearance that makes the naturally yellowish dentin underneath visible.

How do celebrities get their teeth so white? ›

Veneers: If you see celebrities with perfectly white, straight, and uniform-looking teeth, they likely have veneers. Unlike teeth whitening, veneers are more permanent. There are various types of materials used, but porcelain and composite are the most common types.

Do take-home whitening trays work? ›

While at-home whitening kits do not whiten teeth as fast as professional whitening treatments, most patients will achieve their desired shade of white in as little as two to three weeks. Over-the-counter teeth whitening products can take up to six weeks before producing any noticeable results.

Are whitening trays from dentists worth it? ›

The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry endorses the use of custom-fit teeth whitening trays crafted by dentists as they really are that much safer than other options. There is no risk of tooth-whitening gel moving on out of trays that do not properly fit your mouth.

Do I rinse my mouth after whitening trays? ›

After Whitening: Remove the tray and rinse off your teeth.

Brush any remaining gel away. Brush, floss and continue routine dental cleaning. You may initially notice white splotches on teeth following removal of tray. This is typically cause by dehydration of the teeth and should diminish within an hour.

Should I brush my teeth with toothpaste after whitening trays? ›

Brushing quickly after whitening can help remove any residual gel or substance from your teeth, keeping it from remaining on the enamel and potentially causing irritation or damage. Brushing after whitening can also help eliminate any tiny stains or discolorations that were lifted during the whitening process.

Do you brush your teeth before or after whitening trays? ›

Brush and floss teeth prior to whitening for maximum effectiveness. 2. Make sure trays are clean and dry prior to applying opalescence gel.

How long does it take a dentist to make whitening trays? ›

The trays can take some time to get. The dentist will need to send dental impressions to the dental lab. It will take about two weeks to get the trays ready. These teeth whitening trays have extra space for the whitening gel or solution.

Can I leave teeth whitening trays in all night? ›

If you wear your custom made trays for at least 3-4 hours in the day and/or wear the trays overnight for 14 consecutive days you will get the fastest results. If you cannot wear the trays for a few days because life intrudes or your teeth become sensitive, it does not matter.

How long do you have to wear 20 teeth whitening trays? ›

Brush teeth before inserting tray. Lightly tap tray to adapt tray sides to teeth. Wear Opalescence 20% for 2 to 4 hours.

Can I whiten my teeth 3 days in a row? ›

How many days in a row can you whiten your teeth? Although it is tempting to whiten your teeth every day, it is not recommended to do so. You need to allow your teeth to rest in between whitening sessions to prevent damage. The recommended number of days in between whitening sessions is two to three days.

Can you whiten teeth every day? ›

Dentists typically recommend getting one or two professional whitening treatments per year. At-home whitening kits can be used for up to 14 consecutive days. People who have gotten professional whitening can maintain their results by using these kits a few times a year.

Can you use teeth whitening strips 2 days in a row? ›

There is no consensus on how often you can use teeth whitening strips but it is not recommended to whiten your teeth every single day. Spacing out the treatments and taking breaks in between is advised because you don't want sensitive teeth all year long.

Can you do whitening strips 2 days in a row? ›

To get the best results, you must use your teeth whitening strips daily, however, using them more often or for a longer period of time than specified in the instructions can ultimately result in erosion of your teeth enamel, which can lead to sensitivity and other damage.

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