Right Before Bedtime, place a small amount of bleaching solution on the inside of your bleaching tray, for each of the front ten teeth. Do not fill up the entire tray with bleach, but instead place a generous drop on the inside surface so that when you place the tray in your mouth the front of the front teeth will be covered with bleach. Do not rinse out after placing the tray in your mouth since the solution is water soluble. Leave the tray in over night if possible, but if you keep it in at least three hours that’s ok.
When you take the tray out in the morning, wash it in cold water and place the tray in the retainer container that came with the trays. Do not leave the trays on your night table in tissue paper! Too many patients have done this and later found out that either someone threw out the tissue paper with the trays or their dog ate the trays!
During the time you are bleaching, please refrain from drinking things that might stain the teeth. No Coke, black coffee, black tea, Cranberry juice or red wine please. Instead you may have Sprite, some coffee with milk (just one cup a day) green tea, white cranberry juice or white wine.
After about a week of bleaching you will notice a change in the color of your teeth. Sometimes the teeth appear splotchy at this point. Please arrange for a short visit to our office so that we may check your progress. Also it is not unusual for patients to report some sensitivity to cold air or liquids during the bleaching process. If the sensitivity bothersyou too much, take a break and it will go away quickly (in a day or two). Resume bleaching when your teeth are comfortable.
Tray bleaching usually takes about three week, but sometimes a week is enough. During the second and third weeks the bleach often penetrates the teeth further and they often appear less blotchy and more even. If you teeth appear blotchy after the first week, it most likely indicates you should do more to even out the result, but a visit to the dentist is in order to get professional advice.
After finishing your bleaching, the teeth are more porous and tend to pick up stains for a couple of weeks and it is advisable to refrain from drinking and eating things that will stain them. After this short period it is ok to return to your regular diet.
