Whitening


Teeth Whitening

Looking for Teeth Whitening in Napa? Yearning for a bright youthful smile?

Robert R Martin, DDS offers a full range of cosmetic dentistry including professional teeth whitening. Teeth whitening is the #1 requested and performed cosmetic dental procedure. Teeth whitening (sometimes called teeth bleaching) is a procedure that brightens teeth and helps to remove stains and discoloration.

Throughout the day, a thin coating of bio-film collect on teeth. The bio-film can attract stains that can be trapped in the pores of tooth's enamel.

Teeth whitening by a dental professional is key as cavities need to be treated before teeth are whitened. Cavities are problematic because whitening solution can penetrate the cavity allowing decay to reach inner areas of a tooth. People with good dental health may also use a kit to whiten teeth at home. However, in a single office visit, teeth whitening performed by a dental professional will produce brighter results that are more consistent in color across all teeth.


Understanding Tooth Stains

The outer-most layer of your tooth, the enamel, is what becomes stained or discolored and adversely, whitened during teeth whitening treatment. The tooth's enamel is actually quite porous when looked at up close and thinking about it this way makes it easier to understand how teeth can become stained.

Coffee, tea, colas, wine, certain fruits and vegetables, smoking or chewing tobacco and inadequate brushing and flossing can all cause the tooth's enamel to stain. Tiny microscopic particles lodge themselves into the porous enamel layer of your teeth which causes the overall appearance of the tooth to become discolored. Robert R Martin, DDS offers professional-grade whitening solutions that eliminate stains and discoloration by blasting out the particles within the porous enamel layer and effectively bleaching the enamel. What is left behind is a beautiful whiter enamel layer.


Home Whitening

The most common type of home teeth whitening involves placing a gel-like whitening solution, which usually contains hydrogen peroxide, in a tray that resembles a Nightguard or mouth guard. Over-the-counter mouthpieces are unlikely to fit correctly and can cause gum irritation if the whitening agent seeps out. The tray is then placed over the teeth for a certain period of time, anywhere from an hour or two to overnight.


Know The Difference Between Dentist Provided Home Whitening Kits VS. DIY

There is a difference between the teeth whitening kits you can get from the supermarket and the high-strength home whitening kits our office is able to provide. Store-bought do-it-yourself whitening kits feature a "boil-and-fit" mouthpiece that can be uncomfortable and generally requires more whitening gel per tooth to achieve whiter teeth. The gels in the store-bought whitening kits are also are not as concentrated as what we can offer which means it takes longer to achieve desired results. Robert R Martin, DDS uses kits that are able to create an exact-fit whitening tray that is custom built for your teeth. This maximizes the displacement and effectiveness of the whitening gel ensuring that it surrounds the teeth evenly and entirely. Additionally, our home-whitening kits use a high-strength proprietary whitening gel that you can't get over-the-counter from a supermarket which means your teeth get a deeper and longer lasting result in less time.

If you are thinking or have any questions about our single-visit teeth whitening system or about our take-home whitening kits, please call us at 707-255-6300. You can also request an appointment and get set-up for your one-hour whitening appointment.


Opalescence Boost

Opalescence Boost features a unique, chemically activated formula that allows your dentist to whiten your teeth without the bothersome heat or ultraviolet rays of a light. Opalescence Boost also contains potassium nitrate and fluoride, which help to improve oral health by strengthening enamel, decreasing sensitivity, and offering increased cavity prevention.


Educational Video on Teeth Whitening