Information
We provide this information to give you insight into In-chair professional teeth whitening. Your cooperation and understanding of this material is necessary as we strive to achieve the best results for you.
Procedure
In-chair professional teeth whitening is a procedure designed to lighten the color of your teeth using a hydrogen peroxide mixture. It produces maximum whitening results in the shortest possible time. During the procedure, the whitening gel will be applied to your teeth for three (3) 8-minute sessions. For the duration of the entire treatment, a plastic cheek retractor will be placed in your mouth to help keep it open and your gums will be covered with a barrier to ensure isolation from the hydrogen peroxide gel. Before and after the treatment, the shade of your teeth will be assessed.
Risks
All forms of health treatment, including teeth whitening, have some risks and limitations. Complications that can occur in professional teeth whitening are infrequent and are usually minor in nature.
- •Teeth Sensitivity: During the whitening process some patients may experience teeth sensitivity. This is normal and generally mild if your teeth are not normally sensitive. If your teeth are normally sensitive, please inform us before treatment. Please let us know if you experience any discomfort during or after the procedure so we are able to minimize your discomfort. A mild analgesic will usually be effective in eliminating any discomfort.
- •Gum and soft tissue irritation: Whitening may cause inflammation of your gums, lips or cheek margins. This is generally the result of the whitening gel coming into contact with these tissues. Protective materials are placed in the mouth to prevent this, but despite our best efforts, it can still rarely occur. If any irritation does occur, it is generally short in duration and is very mild. Rinsing with warm salt water can relieve it as well as applying vitamin e oil.
- •Existing restorations: White fillings; porcelain or composite restorations, crowns or veneers may not whiten at all or evenly with your natural teeth during this procedure. Please discuss this with your dentist prior to beginning treatment.
Treatment Responsibilities
If you do not understand something communicated to you during consultation, or in any printed material given to you before or after the procedure, please feel free to ask your dental practitioner.
Expectations
Significant whitening can be achieved in many cases, but there is no absolute way to predict how light your teeth will get. Please understand that teeth with multiple colorations, bands, splotches or spots due to tetracycline staining or fluorosis do not whiten as well and may appear more spotted after treatment. These effects are generally short in duration. In-chair professional teeth whitening is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breast feeding, children under 14 years of age or any persons having known peroxide allergies.
Alternate Treatment Options
While we feel that In-chair whitening is the fastest, most effective means of whitening your teeth, please take note that there are other options available to you, such as take-home systems. If you have questions regarding other treatment alternatives, please ask your dental practitioner.
Acknowledgment
I understand that my In-chair professional whitening treatment cannot be guaranteed. I can ask my doctor about whitening treatments that will most benefit my case.
I understand that after treatment, I will be required to refrain from consuming any chromogenic substances (foods that will stain) (i.e. tomato sauce, coffee, all tobacco products) for up to 48 hours.
In signing this informed consent, I am stating I have read this informed consent and I fully understand it and the possible risks, complications and benefits that can result from the In-chair teeth whitening treatment.
