“How long does it take to see results from teeth whitening trays?”

Most people say they can see a small difference after wearing for 2 hours. A much more distinct change will be noticeable by 4 or 5 applications. And you just keep going from there!

Four to five days.

Whitening depends on the concentration of the active ingredient and the amount of time in contact with teeth. Also, it depends on if teeth are cleaned before treatment and tooth color. Whitening toothpaste takes forever. After about 10 hours of contact time, if the whitening agent is not quickly diluted, you should see some results, unless you started with rather dark teeth.

Dear Reader,

Teeth generally come in four shades: red-yellow, yellow, gray and red-yellow-grey. How quickly your teeth turn lighter depends upon the original shade and how intense the shade is. Most noticeable changes occur in two weeks. The grey shade, the most difficult to lighten, takes about three weeks before you notice changes. You also have to consider the whitening material. Most come in different concentrations of the active whitening ingredient. Their viscosity and tooth penetration properties may be different. Also, the fit of the tray is important. Poor fit means whitening material is being diluted by saliva or being leaked out. There are a lot of factors, so I would check with your dentist.

Hope this helps,

Steven Chamish, DDS

Assuming that you have a restricted clear liquid diet during the whitening experience, results are usually noticed after 5 days, with best results seen after 2 weeks.

Russell A. Sassack, D.D.S.