Even for those who have healthy, cavity-free teeth, there is a certain extra appeal to a whiter, brighter smile. Drinking coffee or wine, smoking cigarettes, taking certain medications, or merely getting older can cause our teeth to stain over time. If you’re looking for whiter teeth, there are options and factors to consider for bleaching yellow, stained teeth. Bleaching products contain peroxide (hydrogen or carbamide), which removes stains on the surface and under the surface of teeth. FAST IN-OFFICE PROFESSIONAL WHITENING Some professional teeth bleaching can be done in under an hour at our Edmond dental office. Dr. Jamie Talley will apply a whitening gel to the teeth followed by shining a special heat lamp on the teeth. This process is repeated multiple times. ​ AT-HOME WHITENING TRAYS Another option is a dentist-supervised, at home bleaching treatment that are better at whitening than over-the-counter alternatives. In this process, a mold of your teeth is taken in order to produce trays to fit your teeth perfectly. This increases the contact between the bleaching product and your teeth and also makes contact between your gum tissue and the bleaching product minimal, avoiding unnecessary irritation to your gums and increasing the ability to make contact with your teeth. Dr. Talley will give you instructions on how, how often, and how long to apply the trays at home. Depending on your situation, some systems include overnight wear for approximately 4 weeks while other teeth whitening systems are applied for only 1 or 2 hours daily for the same 4-week period. It is important to follow the instructions Dr. Talley gives to prevent damage to your gums or soft tissue and to get the best results. Dr. Talley will also check on your gum health at intermittent appointments during your treatment and ensure your trays are fitting you properly.