How Custom Teeth Whitening Trays Are Made At The Dentist

Posted on: 27 July 2022

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Are you getting professional teeth whitening done by using a peroxide gel from your dentist? If so, they are going to make some custom trays for you to wear so that the peroxide comes in contact with your teeth. Here is how the process works for making those trays. 

Find The Right Base Tray Size

The process starts by finding the base tray that is going to fit your mouth the best. You'll likely try a few different trays until you find one that is very close to your current bite. This is going to be the tray that is used to hold all of the material that will make the impression.

Mix The Impression Material

The impression material that is used for your mold will set pretty quickly. That is why the impression material is often mixed in the room directly in front of you. The ingredients will be combined into a bowl, mixed together, and then placed into the tray that was fitted to your mouth earlier. The dentist will then work quickly to take an impression of your teeth.

Take The Impressions

Your dentist will take the tray and press it against your teeth. You will not bite down on it, since you want the dentist to control the pressure that is being applied. Taking the impression can be a bit messy as the material overflows from the tray. The dentist will wipe away the material as it overflows. 

The dentist will hold the tray in place until the material sets. You'll likely hear a popping sound as the tray is removed, and then your dentist will clean you up to get rid of the excess mold material. The process will then be repeated for the opposite set of teeth as well. 

Create The Molds

The impression is then filled with another material so that there is an accurate model made of your teeth. This model is then placed on a vacuum seal device that helps form the final molds. Plastic material is placed above the model, and then sucked down over the model so that it matches the exact shape of your teeth. The plastic is then removed from the model and cleaned up.

Test The Trays

You'll return to the dentist where you will test the mold. They'll place it on your teeth to make sure it fits snugly. If they fit, you'll be sent home with your new trays and peroxide gel for the whitening process. 

Reach out to a clinic like Cottonwood Dental to learn more.