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A boost in confidence never hurt anyone. And an easy way to get there is with a brighter smile, says Chrissy Goria, executive director at Grin Whitening Clinic in Calgary.
“When someone is insecure about their smile, it really stops them from engaging in a positive manner,” she says. By the time they leave the clinic, “they’re smiling and their whole demeanour changes.”
Dr. Andrea Gelinas, a Toronto-based dental surgeon and founder of Gelinas Dental Studio, adds “there’s been a big shift since the pandemic, because in it everyone was on Zoom and seeing themselves speak and looking at their smiles.” She’s seen an uptick in aesthetic enhancements including veneers, alignment treatments such as Invisalign, and of course, transforming teeth that have a yellow or brownish tinge into pearly whites.
Whether performed at the dentist’s office or a specialty clinic, the hour-long treatment typically combines hydrogen peroxide (a bleaching agent) with blue-light technology to brighten teeth. “The light activates the molecules that are stained, allowing the oxygen to pull apart the discolouration on the surface of the teeth,” explains Gelinas. Traditional at-home treatments rely on the same ingredient, but over-the-counter options are made with lower concentrations. “We use a formula with 25- to 35-per-cent hydrogen peroxide, while most whitening strips and trays are anywhere from 3 to 7 per cent,” says Goria.
With at-home only options you can see results, but the key to maximizing them on your own is consistency. Use the product as advised and follow through with the treatment period, which typically ranges from 10 to 14 days.
In her practice, Gelinas prepares patients to expect a tingling sensation during an in-office treatment. “Sensitivity seems to be the thing that patients are most concerned about. It’s going to be sensitive no matter what,” she says. But using a toothpaste for sensitive teeth, such as Sensodyne, for two weeks before can help. She also recommends taking Advil or Tylenol an hour ahead of your appointment.
The interaction between the light and bleaching agent used in treatments generates very mild heat, and any change in temperature causes tubules in the teeth to open. Tubules are gateways to the nerve of the tooth, which is why you can feel slight shocks. This doesn’t damage or harm teeth. Tubules will slowly close afterward, says Gelinas. Post-treatment, avoid any heavily pigmented food or drinks. “Stick to things that are clear, white and light for the next 24 hours,” says Goria. “A good rule of thumb is if it could stain a white shirt, stay away from it.”
Since stains accumulate on the enamel of teeth over time, the best strategy is a combination of a professional treatment (which can cost $200 to $500) with consistent use of an at-home whitening treatment because the biggest reason for discolouration is what you’re consuming every single day. Gelinas sums up the list of culprits as anything with pigment. “It’s all the good stuff – coffee, tea, red wine. And then there’s the bad stuff, like vaping, which a lot of people don’t think about.”
After a pro treatment, use whitening strips every couple of months, and skip whitening toothpaste. It’s too abrasive, which can be damaging, says Gelinas. Instead, pick up an electric toothbrush and stick to solid oral-hygiene habits. “I would rather people spend time at night making sure they’re doing a full two minutes of brushing and flossing, and tongue scraping if they need to,” she says. “Then you can maintain what the enamel looked like when you left the appointment.”
Six buys to try
Pairing at-home whitening treatments with top notch oral hygiene is the secret to a brighter smile.
A 10-day treatment combines strips that contain hydrogen peroxide with a five-minute session of LED light therapy, which the brand claims to weaken stains and whiten 50 per cent better than using strips alone. Crest 3D Whitestrips dental whitening kit, $90, amazon.ca
An innovation for sensitive mouths from a Trois Rivières-based brand, these peroxide-free strips have a minty flavour and are formulated for a pain-free experience that uses sodium phytate (a derivative of white rice) to whiten teeth. Kakua Smile whitening strips, $35, kakuasmile.com
A tapered brush dispenses a brightening solution exactly where it’s needed, allowing for a more controlled application along teeth and gums to minimize discomfort and target individual teeth for more uniformity. Arc Precision teeth whitening pen, $30, Shoppers Drug Mart
With a focus on removing surface stains – it’s clinically proven to whiten teeth in just one week – this toothbrush comes with densely packed bristles targeting stain removal while a choice of three modes and intensities allows for customizable cleaning. Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 6100, $160, philips.ca
Designed to stretch and expand between teeth, this dentist-recommended floss is flavoured with cardamom essential oil, coated with a vegetable/beeswax blend and is free of dairy, dyes and gluten while claiming to remove up to 55 per cent more plaque. DrTung’s Smart Floss, $16 for a two-pack, drtungs.com
Made from medical-grade stainless steel and sculpted for comfort, this tool can help refresh the look and feel of your mouth by removing food particles and bacteria from the surface of your tongue that can contribute to stains and odours. Mintier tongue cleaner, $18, shopmintier.com