Teeth Whitening in Wilmington, NC

Restore Your Stained Teeth

with teeth whitening

If you feel self-conscious or embarrassed about your smile due to tooth stains, Dr. Ben Friberg is here to help. Serving Wilmington and Porters Neck, specializes in professional teeth whitening services. Whether your teeth have been stained by drinking beverages like coffee, tea and wine, or from tobacco use or aging, we can restore your smile quickly and easily. Schedule your teeth whitening consultation today with Thrive Family Dental.

How Does Teeth Whitening Work?

There are a lot of different teeth whitening products out there, but they all use the same basic principles of action. Teeth whitening uses compounds called “peroxides,” such as carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide. These compounds contain volatile oxygen molecules which react violently when they contact organic stains on your enamel. This breaks the chemical bonds which hold the stain onto your teeth. In turn, this “bleaches” the stain away, restoring the natural color of your enamel.

The Teeth Whitening Process

At Thrive Family Dental, we offer both take-home and in-office teeth whitening for our patients. In-office whitening is fast and effective, and ideal if you want quick results for a special occasion such as a wedding. You’ll simply come into our office, and Dr. Friberg will apply a strong peroxide whitening solution to your teeth. After the solution has taken effect, it is removed to reveal a whiter, brighter smile. This process may be repeated several times, depending on your level of staining, to achieve your desired results.
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Take-home teeth whitening takes a little bit longer and delivers more gradual results, but allows you to whiten your teeth in the comfort of your own home. You’ll come into our office and have dental impressions taken. With those impressions, we’ll make a set of custom whitening trays. Your whitening kit will come with these trays, several tubes of whitener, and instructions from your Wilmington, NC dentist on how to achieve the best results. Results can be seen as early as your first treatment with full results typically after 1-2 weeks.
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In-office whitening delivers faster results, but is usually a little more expensive. Take-home whitening is slower, but typically is a bit less expensive. If you’re not sure what’s right for you, you can discuss your options with Dr. Friberg during your appointment.

What are the Benefits of Teeth Whitening?

Teeth whitening has a number of different benefits. First, it allows you to remove the stains and discoloration from your teeth that are making you feel self-conscious. You can smile brightly once again, and feel proud of your appearance. 
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Teeth whitening is also very affordable, and is typically one of the cheapest cosmetic treatments you can get at the dentist. It’s non-invasive, too, with no side effects beyond mild tooth sensitivity, which typically fades within a few days of your whitening treatment. 
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For all of these reasons and more, teeth whitening is one of the best ways to restore your smile in Wilmington or Porters Neck. So schedule an appointment a Thrive Family Dental today or stop by our office in person at 8115 Market Street, Wilmington, NC 28411.

Teeth Cleaning & Teeth Whitening

Should I Get a Dental Cleaning Before Whitening My Teeth? 

Yes! Dental cleanings remove plaque and tartar from the surface of your teeth, which allows the chemical whiteners used in teeth whitening to adhere to the enamel more effectively. This, in turn, boosts the effectiveness of teeth whitening.
Getting a dental cleaning before you have your teeth whitened also allows Dr. Friberg to look for signs of tooth decay and other oral health issues that may require you to delay your whitening treatment. You shouldn’t have your teeth whitened unless they’re healthy, so this helps protect your oral health. 
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If you choose to get in-office whitening from Thrive Family Dental, you can usually schedule your teeth whitening appointment shortly after your six-month visit with Dr. Friberg. This will improve your overall results. 
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If you choose take-home whitening, your teeth will typically be cleaned by Dr. Friberg when you come in to have dental impressions taken of your teeth using molding putty, as this ensures a better fit for your whitening trays. Either way, you’ll benefit from better overall results by whitening your teeth after a teeth cleaning at Thrive Family Dental.

Does Teeth Whitening Damage My Enamel? 

The answer is “no,” as long as your treatment is delivered by an experienced dentist like Dr. Ben Friberg. While the whitening ingredients in teeth whiteners do weaken your teeth very slightly, your treatment will be professionally-designed to keep your teeth safe, and avoid over-whitening your teeth. In addition, regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste quickly restores your enamel and keeps your teeth strong.
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However, if you try to whiten your teeth at home with DIY kits, particularly kits ordered from the internet, you could put yourself at risk of damaging your enamel. Many DIY teeth whitening kits have very high and unsafe levels of peroxide whitener.
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If you do not use these products properly, you could end up over-whitening your teeth. This may weaken the teeth significantly, causing them to become brittle and almost transparent in appearance. In addition, peroxides can cause chemical burns to your gums and gum recession if they come into contact with your gum tissue for an extended period of time.

Can I Whiten My Teeth If I Have Cosmetic Work?

The answer is “yes,” but there’s a bit of a catch. You see, the powerful peroxide whiteners used to bleach your teeth and whiten your smile are very effective at whitening your enamel, but they do not have any effect on common cosmetic dental restorations like dental bonding or veneers. Teeth whitening also will not whiten fillings or crowns.
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This is because the resin and/or porcelain materials used to create these dental restorations does not respond to peroxide. The peroxide won’t be able to bleach and white your dental work.
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So if you do have extensive cosmetic dental work but you still want to have your teeth whitened, Dr. Ben Friberg will work with you to create a whitening plan that will whiten your natural teeth to a similar shade as your dental work.
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If you have veneers, for example, your teeth will be whitened by Dr. Friberg until they match your veneers. This ensures that your smile maintains a consistent brightness, and will look natural and beautiful.

Achieve Your Best Smile

Schedule Your Teeth Whitening Appointment Today

To learn more about teeth whitening and to schedule an appointment with Dr. Friberg, and contact us online or call us at (910) 240-4797.