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:
