Jenny Shen, DDS

Before beginning any new whitening treatment, we recommend that all of our clients visit their dentist for a check-up and to determine if the whitening treatment is appropriate. If you have the teeth whitening treatment done at your dental office, then everything can be done in one trip. However, having your whitening treatment done in a salon or spa can be a more relaxing and pleasant experience. You can combine treatments, such as having your nails done or getting a massage at the same time. There is also less fear associated with salons or spas for some people.

Additionally, most dental offices use a higher strength whitening gel. This requires the additional application of the gingival barrier which some clients can find uncomfortable. There is also more of a risk of sensitivity associated with the higher strength whitening gels used in dental offices. However the results are comparable, regardless if the treatment is done in a dental office or the salon.

We recommend that you avoid all colored food and drinks for 24 hours following the treatment. You should also try to limit your use of tobacco products during this time. This is because the teeth are particularly susceptible to re-coloring during this 24 hour period and if you expose your teeth to staining food, drinks, or tobacco, then they may recolor faster and your results won’t last as long. The best things to eat and drink are water, milk, pasta, rice, cream sauces – anything clear or white-colored. We also sell a whitening toothpaste called Beyond Pearl White Toothpaste that is excellent for maintaining your whitening results post-treatment. We give out a free sample of this toothpaste with each Beyond WhiteSpa treatment, but you can buy larger sizes as well.

We tell you to avoid colored food and drinks and tobacco in the 24 hours following the WhiteSpa treatment because your teeth are more susceptible to recolor during that time. This is because the tooth enamel becomes slightly dehydrated during the whitening process and will absorb stains more readily for 24 hours following the treatment. Your saliva naturally rehydrates your enamel in 24 hours, so this is only a temporary thing. Your teeth won’t take on the color of whatever food or drink you consume during the 24 hour period, but your teeth will rebound in color faster if you don’t follow those directions.

As with all light-accelerated whitening systems, you cannot pinpoint the exact color that you want to achieve out of the treatment.

Everyone’s teeth whiten differently, depending on your diet, your oral health, and the types of stains that you are trying to whiten. It is impossible to end up with glow-in-the-dark teeth like Ross on Friend’s because everyone has a threshold color that they will eventually reach and cannot go beyond. This will be your natural tooth color without any stains.

To get the unnaturally white tooth colors, you’ll need to explore other, more invasive options, such as veneers or implants. Personally, I like the idea of whitening better because you get to show off your natural teeth looking their very best. If your teeth are healthy, then you’ll have amazing results from the WhiteSpa treatment and will be extremely happy and satisfied with the natural, refreshed look that a whiter smile can lend to your appearance.

It is important to establish realistic expectations from the treatment. Some clients may not be able to ever achieve their idealized “Hollywood white” color because of their individual oral health situation and the diet they ate as a child. Developing an appropriate, individualized whitening plan for each individual client is an important aspect of the Beyond WhiteSpa treatment and we offer online training on how to do this.

When comparing different whitening systems, you need to take into consideration several key points:

1. What kind of light source does this system use?
2. Does the system contain a light filtration system?
3. What is the strength of the whitening gel used?
4. What is the quality of the whitening gel?

1. There are several different kinds of light sources available and some are significantly stronger than others. Essentially the stronger the light source, the faster and more effective whitening treatment. The strongest light technology options available right now are halogen and mercury metal halide light. Beyond WhiteSpa uses a halogen light source. Other cheaper, less effective options include LED or even gimmicky, flashing lights. You want to consider a system that has one of the more powerful light source options as these will produce better, longer-lasting whitening results because the light-accelerated whitening will be stronger and deeper.
2. For the systems with stronger light sources, you will want to use one that filters the harmful spectrums of the light out before it is exposed to your mouth. Beyond WhiteSpa has an advanced light filtration system that removes all harmful ultraviolet light and restricts the light spectrum to the most effective whitening wavelengths, between 480-520 nanometers. Other systems, including Zoom, don’t filter their light, so your mouth is being exposed to all wavelengths of light, including potentially harmful ultraviolet light. These systems require that all pink tissue in the mouth be completely blocked-out in order to avoid exposure to UV in your mouth during the treatment.
3. Beyond WhiteSpa uses a 6% hydrogen peroxide, over-the-counter strength whitening gel; in-office dental systems use between 15%-35% hydrogen peroxide. The higher the hydrogen peroxide percentage is, the faster the treatment – but the greater the risk of sensitivity. Regardless of the strength of the gel, you will see the same results in the end. The benefit to Beyond WhiteSpa’s gentle whitening gel is that it is ideal for those clients with sensitive teeth or who are looking for a less invasive whitening treatment.
4. High-quality whitening gels use a dual-barrel dispensing system because they contain both active ingredients and activating catalysts that actively work to accelerate the whitening process and provide the best and longest-lasting results. Cheaper whitening gels are beginning to flood the market and the results seen from these are not comparable to those from high-quality whitening systems.

Essentially, when researching what teeth whitening system you want to use to whiten your teeth, you want to ask as many questions as possible so that you can make an informed decision. The person you talk to (either aesthetician or dentist) should be able to answer your questions thoroughly and to your satisfaction. Cheaper whitening systems are starting to enter the market and you need to proceed with caution when considering using these systems. Lack of a light filtration system or a lower-quality whitening gel could seriously injure you or your client or result in bad whitening results. It is important that you feel comfortable with the quality of the system before beginning any whitening treatment and that you are familiar with how the system works and the precautions (if any) that need to be taken.