Teeth Whitening
No matter how often you brush and floss, stains can still settle on your teeth. Aging, medications, foods, and beverages all play a role in your tooth color. And some people just have darker teeth than others. Most people want bright smiles for a youthful, healthy appearance. Dr. Alfe and her Chicago Smile Spa team are excited to offer several options for tooth whitening. Dr. Alfe can help you decide which option is best for you, depending on how much time you want to spend, how much money you want to spend, and how white you want your teeth to be.
By far, Dr. Alfe’s most popular and predictable treatment is the revolutionary AcquaBrite™ deep bleaching system (our Premiere Whitening Program). Chicago Smile Spa is one of the only offices in the Chicagoland area to use this system, which doesn’t rely on harsh lamps or lasers, and produces amazing results. Many patients who have tried the light or laser teeth whitening systems have complained that their teeth were sensitive during and after the treatment. Dr. Alfe used the ZOOM! in-office whitening system for years but after learning about the AcquaBrite™ tooth bleaching system, she switched to that exclusively for her in-office whitening. Her patients now enjoy healthy, bright smiles with little to no sensitivity during or after treatment.
Dr. Alfe received specialized training in teeth bleaching using the AcquaBrite™ system. This system makes it possible for patients who had been previously told they cannot whiten to achieve a brighter smile. It was developed to whiten even severely stained (like tetracycline stained) teeth with minimal to no sensitivity. In most cases it involves 2 45-minute office visits, 2 weeks apart, with the patient whitening at home, in between. Severely stained teeth may require 2 more weeks of at home whitening, followed by a third office visit.
AcquaBrite™ in-office teeth whitening features:
- No harsh lamps or lasers
- Long-term results
- Little-to-no post-whitening sensitivity
- Custom, reusable whitening trays
In addition to the AcquaBrite™ deep bleaching system, Dr. Alfe offers several other teeth bleaching choices to her patients. One of her at-home whitening options includes impressions and custom made trays to be used with NiteWhite bleach in a variety of concentrations depending on your tooth color and tooth sensitivity. The NiteWhite at-home option is best for patients with moderately stained teeth who cannot fit in-office whitening appointments into their schedule. It is also ideal for patients who have whitened in the past and know that they can tolerate sleeping with bleaching trays in their mouth overnight.
Some patients don’t want regular dental impressions, don’t want to sit in the dental chair and/or don’t want to sleep with bleaching trays overnight. For any of these people, the Whiter Image Deluxe Home Edition kit may be a great fit. The patient uses the proprietary silicone tray for an instant custom impression at home. 30 minutes a day is all that it takes to brighten your smile in as little as two weeks. This system works best for patients with mild to moderately stained teeth and little pre-existing sensitivity. Dr. Alfe is so impressed with this system that she agreed to be on the Dental Advisory Board for Whiter Image in 2010.
Lastly, Dr. Alfe offers the revolutionary Whiter Image ChicFlic tooth whitening/lip plumper pen as well as the ToGo tooth whitening pen. The tooth bleaching side of the ChicFlic works great to immediately erase stains from coffee, tea, red wine, etc. The other side has a lip plumping gel that moisturizes dry lips while delivering short and long term lip enhancement. The ToGo whitening pen is best for those who only want to keep their smile white and are not interested in the lip plumper. Both whitening pens can be used up to 4 times a day and do not cause tooth sensitivity. You can expect 50-60 applications from each pen. They are safe, effective, convenient and easy to use and they are so attractive, you’ll be happy to carry them around in your purse or briefcase! Both of these work best on patients who have previously whitened and want to maintain their bright smile or for patients who have very mild staining and/or extreme sensitivity.
While we know that it’s not inexpensive to bleach your teeth, in most cases, the initial investment is a one-time cost. Dr. Alfe often talks to her female patients about how much money they spend on their hair every year. If you regularly color, highlight, cut and style your hair, you can easily spend upwards of $1000 annually, and you have to keep going back! Even with our Premiere Whitening Program, your one-time cost breaks down to less than $2/day that first year-that is less than most of us spend on Starbucks every day! After that, your maintenance can be done in the privacy of your home for just around $100/year.
0% financing is available for qualified patients so you don’t have to wait to get the smile of your dreams! Call or email Chicago Smile Spa today for a complimentary consultation. Visit our Smile Gallery to see fantastic results on real patients.
