Dental
Whitening Tips
Filling
the Mouthpiece with Whitening Gel - When you put the whitening gel into
your mouthpieces, the best way to do it is to put a thin layer of gel around the
inside front of the mouthpiece (the part that contacts the front of your
teeth). When you place the mouthpiece over your teeth the whitening gel
will distribute itself such that it comes in contact with the surface of your
teeth. It may take you a few applications to determine the right amount of
gel to use in each mouthpiece. It only takes a very thin layer of gel on the
surface of your teeth to be effective.
Length
of Time for Each Dental Whitening Session - The whitening gel will be
effective for up to four hours. We recommend using your dental bleaching
system for 30-60 minutes per session. You may use it for as little as
10-15 minutes or as long as 3-4 hours per session if desired. Keep in mind
that the whitening process is a cumulative effect. You will need
cumulative whitening time of approximately 10 - 30 hours to complete your
whitening project. You may whiten your teeth for as long or as short of a
time as you like for each sessions.
Forming
your ThermoForm (Boil & Bite) Bleaching Trays - You must form your
mouthpieces in order to achieve the best results from the Boil-n-Bite Whitening
Kits. This is a very simple process of heating the mouthpiece in hot water so
that it becomes soft and moldable. Keep in mind that you do not need a perfect
mold of your teeth for your dental bleaching system to be effective. We
provide an extra mouthpiece in each kit so that you can experiment with this
process if needed.
To mold your mouthpieces you should bring a pot of
water to a boil and then turn off the stove to let the water begin cooling.
While holding the mouthpiece by its specially designed holding-tab, submerge the
mouthpiece into the water for approximately 10 seconds. This will make the
mouthpiece soft. After letting it cool just enough not to burn your mouth, place
the mouthpiece over your teeth (either upper or lower). Now press the mouthpiece
down onto the front of your teeth using your fingers while using your tongue and
teeth to press the rear of the mouthpiece to that back of your teeth.
If the
mouthpiece seems to big for you, simply put it back into the hot water and it
will shrink to fit any sized mouth. Repeat these steps for both upper and lower
teeth. When the mouthpiece has cooled, test the fit and repeat the above process
if you need to adjust the shape of the mouthpiece. When the molding
process is completed, cut the holding-tabs off of the mouthpieces so that you
can close your mouth completely when the mouthpieces are in your mouth.
Dental
Whitening Gel Usage: Whitening gel is placed around the inside, front of the
mouthpiece. There is no need for the whitening gel to come in contact with the
back side of your teeth since they are not visible to others. Place the
mouthpiece over your teeth. You will notice that the whitening gel
squeezes so that full coverage of all teeth is attained. There may be some
additional gel that overflows out of the mouthpiece into your mouth. Simply
discard this overflow gel by spitting it out.
You should wear the mouthpiece for
1 to 3 hours per whitening session. You may decrease your weartime or frequency
of use if you experience sensitivities, although your whitening gel will stay
active for up to 4 hours. Some people report watering of the mouth when
whitening their teeth. This is a normal reaction and tends to diminish as
time goes on. You will need to wear your mouthpieces for a total of 20 -
40 cumulative hours to complete the process. These cumulative hours of weartime
can be completed in consecutive days or you may skip days if you like. It
will not matter so long as you complete your 20 - 40 cumulative hours.
After
completion of each whitening session, wash your mouthpieces with water and store
in a dry place. Be sure to keep your whitening gel refrigerated when not
in use. There are several things you can do to make your dental whitening
activities more effective and pleasurable. Take the time to read the below tips
to make your dental whitening experience as easy and effective as possible.
A
Time and Place for Dental Whitening - A great place to whiten your teeth is
in the shower or bath. Just keep your Whitening System in the shower and
use it as a routine part of your morning or evening hygiene. The shower is
a great place to use your dental bleaching system because you can easily discard
any extra whitening gel that squeezes out of your bleaching trays into your mouth
without running over to your sink. Also, you are busy doing your other shower
activities so you really don’t even notice the mouthpieces in your mouth. When
you are done with your shower, you can remove your trays and leave them in the
shower or you can continue to wear them for a few more minutes outside the
shower (all overflow gel will already be out of your mouth).
Brushing
Your Teeth - It is advantageous to brush your teeth in conjunction with
using the dental bleaching system. It is good to brush your teeth
immediately before each application to remove any large food particles from your
teeth so that the whitening gel can contact the hardened staining material on
your teeth instead of the softer food particles that may adhere to your teeth on
a daily basis.
Time
Frames for Dental Whitening - The best way to whiten your teeth is
gradually. Don’t knock yourself out by wearing your mouthpieces for hours at a
time and trying to force your whitening process too quickly. It is better to
work the whitening process into your daily or weekly routine (perhaps during
your shower or bath) for as long as it takes for you to achieve your desired
level of whitening. It took many years to build up the staining on your
teeth. It’s perfectly alright to take several weeks to remove the staining.
You will not loose any whitening effect by waiting several days between
treatments. Some people can see significant whitening results in after the first
application and others may take several hours of bleaching to see results.
Gum
or Tooth Sensitivities - If your teeth or gums are exceptionally sensitive
to dental whitening gel, do not be alarmed. This is a normal reaction that
means the dental bleaching formula is working. Any sensitivities will most
likely diminish as you continue to use your whitening gel. Our bleaching gel
contains no desensitizing agents so that you can detect any sensitivity
reactions if existent.
If you do detect sensitivities to the whitening
process, you can do a couple of things. First, simply reduce the amount of
time of your dental whitening session (perhaps to 10-15 minutes). Shorter
duration of whitening sessions over a longer period of time will work just fine.
Secondly, try using a smaller amount of whitening gel inside your mouthpiece.
The trick is to use enough gel to cover your teeth with a thin layer of gel
without squeezing it out into your mouth. This should help any sensitivity
reactions to the whitening process.
Excessive
Salivation (Watering of the Mouth) - Some people experience excessive
salivation when using a dental whitening system. This is a normal reaction
that will gradually disappear as your mouth becomes accustomed to the whitening
process. The best thing to do for this reaction is to conduct your dental
whitening in a place (like the shower) where you can discard the saliva
accumulating in your mouth.
Swallowing
the Dental Whitening Gel - Every time you use your dental bleaching system
you will inevitably swallow a small amount of whitening gel. This is
normal and except for the taste, there are no hazards for most people who
swallow small amounts of gel. If you (or especially a child) swallows more
whitening gel than used for one dental whitening treatment (.5ml - 3ml), you may
or may not experience any side-effects, but it would be wise to contact a
medical professional or Center for Poison Control to be on the safe side. Please
keep the whitening gel out of reach of children.
Upper
Teeth vs. Lower Teeth - You don’t need to whiten your upper teeth and
lower teeth at the same time, although you can if you wish. It will be easier
for you to manage the whitening process for one set of teeth at a time.
As well, this is an excellent way to show the efficacy of your dental bleaching
system. Try whitening your upper teeth for 7-14 sessions and notice the
color difference between your upper teeth and lower teeth. Upon reaching your
desired level of whitening for your upper teeth, it will be time for you to do
the same to your lower teeth.
Flossing
Your Teeth - It helps the whitening process to floss your teeth regularly,
but do not floss your teeth immediately before each application. Flossing may
sometimes irritate the area of gums between your teeth. For sensitive
individuals, it is usually not a good idea to apply the whitening gel to an area
that has just been irritated by flossing. Do your flossing on a regular basis,
but not immediately before using your dental bleaching system.
