How to Whiten your Teeth with Custom Fitted Whitening Trays?

What does it take to use custom fitted whitening trays?

To get the best out of your custom trays learn about:

  • Taking perfect impressions
  • Prepare your gums and teeth for your treatment
  • Steps to follow before each treatment
  • Bleaching with custom fitted trays
  • Caring for your teeth after treatments
  • Cleaning your trays

Custom fitted teeth whitening tray Taking perfect impressions

Custom fitted whitening trays require you to take impressions of your teeth. You will send the impressions to a lab for processing. In a few days – usually about 5 working days – you receive your custom trays. And you are ready to begin your whitening treatment.

Your whitening kit comes with detailed instructions on how to take impressions. The general steps are:

  1. Mix the impression materials.
  2. Put the mixed material into the impression tray.
  3. Press the tray onto your teeth and wait to harden.
  4. Remove, cleanse and mail your impressions to the given address.

Some practical advice:

  1. Try on the empty impression trays before you mix the materials. Trying the empty tray on will give you a chance to find the best way to put it on and take it off. You will not have time to do it twice with the impression materials mixed and placed into the trays.

  2. Take impressions on the upper or lower teeth only. Do not try to do both at the same time. There is not enough room for both trays in your mouth.

  3. You do have enough time to mix the impression materials. Most instructions tell you to hurry. You have 30 to 40 seconds to mix the components. 30 seconds does not mean you have to rush. If you tried on the empty trays you will have enough time.

  4. Take good impressions of your back teeth too. Custom fitted whitening trays are comfortable because they cover your back teeth. It provides extra support to keep the tray on during the treatments. The processing lab needs impressions of your back teeth too.

  5. Make sure the impression material covers your teeth and even goes over your gum line. Custom trays are trimmed off at the gum line. This makes them safer and more comfortable. The technician must see where your gum line is otherwise the trimming can be too low or too high. Too low and your teeth are not covered, too high and the gel will irritate your gums.

  6. Bite on softly and hold the tray in place until the impression material hardens. Movements, grinding reduce the quality of your impressions.

  7. Remove the hardened impressions carefully. Crowns can come off if you apply too much pressure.

Prepare your gums and teeth for your treatment – Even before you begin your first treatment you should prepare your teeth and gums for whitening. You have about a week before your trays arrive. Use this time wisely.

Steps to follow before each treatment – Yes, you should wash your teeth before whitening. But there is more to do.

Bleaching with custom fitted whitening trays

Most tray-based teeth whitening kits ask you to leave the trays on for about 3-4 hours each day. 4 hours is a long time. You will learn to appreciate the extra comfort custom fitted whitening trays provide.

Custom trays are made of thin clear plastic. If you prefer, you can wear them during the day. But remember: Others can still see your trays from up close. Even custom fitted trays will influence your speech a little bit.

You can whiten your upper and lower teeth at the same time or separately. It is up to you.

  1. Fill your trays with whitening gel. You will not need to put a lot of gel into your tray, just enough to cover your teeth.

  2. Wipe off the extra gel from your gums. Gel left in contact with your gums can cause sensitivity and irritation. This is another time to appreciate the comfort of having custom fitted whitening trays.

  3. Do not drink or eat during the treatment. I don’t think I need to tell you why. You would not try to wash your clothes in strawberry juice would you? So don’t do that to your teeth either.

  4. Most gels are active for about 4 hours. You can however cut your treatment times somewhat shorter if you need to. You can always add a few more days to your treatment.

Caring for your teeth after treatments – It is just as important to clean and protect your teeth after your daily bleaching treatments.

Cleaning your custom fitted whitening trays:

Warm or hot water can damage your whitening trays. Wash and clean your custom trays in cold water.

I also like to soak my trays in antibacterial solution after each application.

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