Anyone with teeth stained in the tan-to-yellow range can benefit from tooth whitening as, to a lesser extent, can those with teeth in the gray and blue shades. A decade ago this process was nearly unknown, whereas today nearly everyone knows of the concept.

How is this simple, non-invasive technique accomplished?

At Palo Alto Dental Group we make simple tooth impressions that take about five minutes, then give the two plastic molds to patients a week later. During sleeping hours the patient wears the molds with a few drops of bleach whose active ingredient is carbamide peroxide, a close cousin of hydrogen peroxide, for which no adverse effects have been noted in 15 years of study.

Changes in the shading of teeth may be seen in the first day or two, and minor side effects sometimes include transient temperature sensitivity and gum sensitivity.