Teeth Whitening FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)About: Miami Teeth Whitening

• What should you ask your dentist about teeth whitening?

• What is in-office teeth bleaching?

• What are at-home teeth whitening kits procedures and products?

• How should I choose a tooth whitening product?

What teeth whitening questions should you ask your dentist?

It is recommended that you start by speaking with your dentist. A professional dentist can tell you whether or not whitening procedures will be effective for your situation. Whiteners do not correct all types of discoloration.

- Yellow colored teeth usually bleach well
- Brown teeth may bleach less well
- Gray hued teeth may not bleach well at all



Bleaching may not enhance your smile if you have bonding or tooth-colored fillings placed in your front teeth. The whitening agents will not affect the color of these materials. As a result they will stand out in your whitened smile.
In these cases you have alternative options.

- porcelain veneers
- dental bonding

What is in-office teeth bleaching?

If you are a candidate for bleaching, your dentist might suggest a procedure that can be done “in-office”. This procedure is called chairside bleaching and may require more than one office visit. Each visit may take from 30 minutes to one hour.
During chairside bleaching, the dentist will apply either a protective gel to your gums or a rubber shield to protect the oral soft tissues. A bleaching agent is then applied to the teeth, and a special light may be used to enhance the action of the agent.

A number of in-office bleaching agents have the ADA Seal of Acceptance, your assurance that they have met ADA standards of safety and effectiveness.
Lasers have been used during tooth whitening procedures to enhance the action of the whitening agent. No whitening products using lasers currently are on the ADA list of Accepted products.

What are at-home procedures and products?

There are several types of products available for use at home, which can either be dispensed by your dentist or purchased over-the-counter.

Bleaching solutions. These products contain peroxide(s), which actually bleach the tooth enamel. These products typically rely on percent carbamide peroxide as the bleaching agent, carbamide peroxide comes in several different concentrations (10%, 16%, 22%).

Peroxide-containing whiteners typically come in a gel and are placed in a mouthguard. Usage regimens vary. Some products are used for about twice a day for 2 weeks, and others are intended for overnight use for 1-2 weeks. If you obtain the bleaching solution from your dentist, he or she can make a custom-fitted mouthguard for you that will fit your teeth precisely. Currently, only dentist-dispensed home-use 10% carbamide peroxide tray-applied gels carry the ADA Seal.



You also may want to speak with your dentist should any side effects become bothersome. For example, teeth can become sensitive during the period when you are using the bleaching solution. In many cases, this sensitivity is temporary and should lessen once the treatment is finished. Some people also experience soft tissue irritation—either from a tray that doesn’t fit properly or from solution that may come in contact with the tissues. If you have concerns about such side effects, you should discuss them with your dentist.

Toothpastes. All toothpastes help remove surface stain through the action of mild abrasives. "Whitening" toothpastes in the ADA Seal of Acceptance program have special chemical or polishing agents that provide additional stain removal effectiveness. Unlike bleaches, these ADA Accepted products do not alter the intrinsic color of teeth.

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How should I choose a whitening product?

When selecting a whitener or any dental product, be sure to look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance—your assurance that they have met ADA standards of safety and effectiveness.

To learn more about Miami tooth whitening or to schedule an appointment please contact the office of Dr. Howard Hoffman at 305-933-3070.

Porcelain Veneers

Read about the capabilities of the advances of Cosmetic Veneers from Miami Cosmetic Dentist , Dr. Hoffman?


A slender, barely transparent mask that is bonded permanently to your existing teeth. The most visually naturally appearing option for various dental aesthetic circumstances are porcelain veneers, include:

• Spaces or openings between front teeth
• Busted teeth
• Teeth that have been permanently tarnished or blemished.
• Cracked or harshly chipped teeth.




The Advantages and Amazing Benefits of having Porcelain Veneers

The reasons and benefits and of using porcelain veneers:
• Speed: capabilities of veneers are able to done in a couple of visits.
• Appearance: The beauty of a natural, healthy sense and looking is achieved with when porcelain veneers are professionally situated.
• Joy and compatibility: Cosmetic Veneers are now created with todays most biocompatible resilient material that can be used this near to the fragile tissue of the gums in your oral cavity and the alveolar (jaw) bone.


How are Dental Veneers different from Crowns or Bonding?

Dental Bonding is a resin filling material used to wrap the front surface of teeth. Today, we usually use cosmetic bonding just to fill in small cracks of the enamel and mend blemishes of teeth. An entire crown is utilized while a tooth has used root canal surgery, or when a large amount of the whole tooth body (enamel) has been damaged. Porcelain veneers are useful to the surface of teeth to fix ground down teeth, mend cracks, mask staining and change the form or mask crookedness or gaping. Once adhered to the teeth, these slender, porcelain veneers are virtually undetectable and extremely resistant to coffee, tea and other tarnishing drinks. For their strength and natural look, the similarity of veneers made of porcelain to healthy, white natural tooth enamel is unsurpassed by other selections for restorative dentistry.

What is the Dental Veneers treatment procedure?

1. At the first visit, your teeth are primed for the porcelain veneers and a mold is taken.
2. This impression is then shipped to a lab where the porcelain veneers are made custom to the dentist's requirements.
3. As the patients await their new permanent porcelain veneers, beautiful and custom fit temporaries are created to represent your fresh smile.
4. Patients should expect to leave the firstvisit feeling and appearing refreshed compared to when you came in!
5. At the next visit, your porcelain veneers will be forever adhered to your existing teeth.

Other than Dental Veneers what selections do I have to replace a decayed tooth?

1. White Porcelain Attached to Metal (Crowns instead of Dental Veneers)
a. Especially resilient and long-lasting.
b. More durable than porcelain alone.
c. Requires removal of more of the natural tooth than Dental Veneers.
d. Possibility of allergies to the metals.
e. Potential initial temperature pain may occur.

2. Gold Alloys (Crowns or your porcelain veneers)
a. Gold, Copper and some other metals in an alloy (mixture)
b. Used for dental bridges and amalgam fillings as well.
c. Corrosion resistant.
d. Needs less removal of the original teeth enamel.
e. Do not appear like natural teeth.

3. Base Metal Alloys (Crowns or your porcelain veneers)
a. Non-Nobel Metal Alloys.
b. Silver appearance.
c. Great resistance to wear or breaking.
d. Will not appear like natural teeth.

4. Indirect Composites (Crowns or porcelain veneers)
a. Created from dental lab composites.
b. Material much like white filling materials.
c. Lower strength and durability compared to veneers.
d. Most susceptible to stains and wear.

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Porcelain Veneers, Miami Cosmetic Dentistry Specialist

Cosmetic Dentist Overview

Cosmetic Dentistry Information

A beautiful smile is a captivating feature of someone’s face. With modern advances in cosmetic dentistry, you don’t need to smile with chipped, stained, or poorly shaped teeth. Cosmetic dentistry options give you the ability to smile again with confidence.


The slightest change can create a huge difference in your smile and in how you feel about your self-image. Speak to a cosmetic dentist about the many choices available of today that are most suitable for you, what your expectations should be and the fees involved. Options in today’s cosmetic dentistry are:

• Teeth whitening (tooth whitening, teeth bleaching) brightens smiles of teeth that are discolored or stained. Dental bleaching may be done completely in the dental office than at home, but the dentist may provide you with a system that you can use at home.

Everybody loves bright white smiles. There are a variety of cosmetic dental products and procedures available to help you whiten your teeth.
Many people are satisfied with the results they get from brushing twice a day with regular toothpaste, cleaning with dental floss between their teeth once a day and the regular cleanings at their dentist’s office. If you decide you would like to take another step to make your smile brighter, you should consider all of your options.

You can take several approaches to teeth whitening your smile:
• In-office bleaching systems;
• At-home bleaching products;
• Tooth Whitening toothpastes

• Bonding changes the look of teeth that are broken, chipped, stained, cracked, or have gaps and spaces between them. With dental bonding, enamel/teeth-colored materials are applied, or bonded, to the surface of the teeth.

• Enamel shaping is the reshaping of teeth to improve their appearance. By removing or contouring enamel the shape of the teeth can be manipulated. The process, which often is combined with dental bonding, usually is quick and comfortable and the results can be seen immediately.

• Porcelain Veneers are ultra-thin custom shells created to cover the front side of teeth. Made of materials color matched to the teeth, porcelain veneers are used to treat spaces between teeth and any teeth that are chipped or worn, permanently stained(unable to be whitened), misshaped or crooked.

There's no longer a reason to put up with abnormal gaps in your teeth or with teeth that are permanently stained, badly shaped or even slightly crooked. Today an undetectable veneer placed on top of your teeth can correct nature's mistake or the results of an accident’s injury and help you have a beautiful smile.

Porcelain veneers are very thin, custom-made shells made by a dental technician, usually in a dental lab, working from a model of your mouth and jaw provided by your dentist.
You should know that this is almost always an irreversible process, because it's necessary to remove a small amount you tooth’s enamel from to accommodate the shell.

Your dentist may recommend that you avoid some foods and beverages that have a tendency to stain or discolor veneers. Such food that should be avoided are:
- red wine
- soft drinks
- coffee
- teas
- blueberries
- soy sauce

Sometimes a veneer might chip or fracture. But for many people the results are more than worth it. If you have any questions about veneers ask your cosmetic dentist.

• Braces are not just for kids especially in the height of cosmetic dentistry developments. Orthodontics may be needed if teeth are crowded, crooked or do line up properly. If your cosmetic dentist thinks you should see a specialist for treatment, he or she will refer you to an orthodontist.

Orthodontic treatments are used for correction of “bad bites.” A condition, known as malocclusion/TMJ, pertains to teeth that are crowded or crooked. Cases involve, the upper and lower jaws not being properly aligned and the teeth may appear straight, but the person may have a surprisingly uneven bite.

Irregularly spaced, protruding crowded or teeth and jaw issues can be inherited through genetics. Thumb-sucking and losing teeth prematurely can also lead to these jaw conditions.
Correction of the issue helps create a beautiful smile, but orthodontic treatment can result in an overall healthier mouth. That’s because crooked and crowding teeth make cleaning your teeth and mouth more difficult, which can lead to teeth decay, periodontal and gum disease which can lead to possible teeth loss. Improper bite can cause issues with proper chewing and speaking functions, abnormally worn enamel of the teeth, will lead to serious problems with the jaw if not properly corrected through proper dental treatment.

Please visit Miami Cosmetic Dentistry to learn how Dr. Hoffman, D.D.S. can change your smile and your life.


Miami Cosmetic Dentist, Dr. Howard J. Hoffman, D.D.S., M.P.S.

What is Good Dental Hygiene?

Good dental hygiene is needed to protect your perfect smile. You need to keep your gums in the pink!

How’s your health? Did you know that your over-all physical health and your dental health are linked? Recent studies have shown that certain types of gum disease are related to your dental health. Dr. Hoffman is a highly-trained and experienced professional. His first examinations always include a thorough discussion with you about your general health and any existing special conditions.

Take this simple quiz to determine the level of your gingival (gums) health:
- Do your gums bleed when brushing or flossing?
- Do you floss regularly?
- Do you use an irrigator (like the WaterPik)?
- Are your gums receding? Teeth looking longer?
- Are your gums puffy?
- Have gums started overgrowing the teeth?
- Do you feel comfortable about your breath? Halitosis?
- Do you use any mouthwashes?

If you answered “Yes’ to any of these questions, then you may need to pay closer attention to Dental Hygiene Routine. Let Dr. Hoffman and his SMILESTYLERS staff analyze the condition of your smile, utilizing the very latest in technologies, to determine the health status of your gums and oral soft tissues.

Our SMILESTYLERS exam consists of several components:
1. Periodontal health X-Rays, measuring pocket depth, measuring recession, observing tissue tone, color, bleeding points, odor, effectiveness of home hygiene techniques, recording plaque and calculus levels.
2. Oral Cancer screening exam
3. TMJ screening
4. Abnormal wear patterns
5. Mobility
6. Caries (decay) screening visual and x-ray
7. Cosmetic exam
8. Photography

After the exam, Dr. Hoffman and your dental hygienist will recommend the hygiene program best geared to meet your needs to maintain or bring your gums back to a healthy state as it may effect your overall cardiovascular health and possible diabetes implications.

You may be then enrolled in a soft-tissue management program which will attempt to get your gums healthy nonsurgically. The goal is to avoid further periodontal problems that may necessitate periodontal surgical procedures or loss of teeth.

The road to better dental health and a beautiful smile begins when you contact us for your first appointment!

Call SMILESTYLERS-Miami Cosmetic Dentist -today, 305-933-3070.