Dentists and Teeth Whitening Options

If you are considering teeth whitening, you have three basic options. Over-the-counter whitening kits, professional take-home whitening kits, and whitening performed by dentists all provide excellent results but at a different rate and with different costs involved.

One of the most common treatments cosmetic dentists perform is teeth whitening. In fact, you don’t even have to go to a cosmetic dentist to have this procedure. Most dental offices have the equipment on hand to take care of your yellow teeth. Brightening up your smile will do a tremendous amount of good for your self confidence and overall appearance, and the good news is that there are teeth whitening options to fit most needs and budgets.

At Home Options

You can try bleaching your teeth at home without a trip to any area dentists offices. You can purchase home-use bleaching kits at your local drugstore. These have a bleaching gel with a low concentration of the whitening agent, a one-size-fits-all bleaching tray to place the gel in, and instructions as to how to bleach your teeth. It may also be in the form of whitening strips that you place on your teeth, or a paint-on whitening product that you paint onto your teeth and then go. These typically cost under $100 and provide fairly good results.

In-Office Options

The main benefit of whitening performed by dentists is the fact that it can make a big difference in a short period of time. This procedure uses a high-concentration of peroxide in the form of a gel that the dentist or dental technician applies to the teeth after placing a protective barrier on the gums. Over the course of an hour, the peroxide is removed then reapplied 3 to 4 times. For some patients, one session is sufficient, while others need more than one to deal with deep stains.

Take-Home, Professional Grade

The in-office whitening procedure uses a far higher concentration of peroxide or other bleaching options than the kits you can purchase at the drug store. For those who do not wish to spend the money on the office whitening procedure but need a higher concentration of bleaching agent than is allowed in over the counter options, professional take-home whitening kits may work.

These kits use a lower concentration of the peroxide than the in-office option, but a higher concentration than the over-the-counter option. They are dispensed with custom-made bleaching trays similar to a mouth guard that the patient places the bleach in and wears for an extended period, even overnight sometimes. Some dentists feel that these kits provide better long-term results than in-office bleaching, even though it takes longer to see the results. They also cost substantially less, although more than the over-the-counter options.

Risks of Teeth Whitening

Getting a whiter smile is not without its risks. Some patients find that their teeth are more sensitive to pressure, touch, and temperature for a short period of time after bleaching. It causes gum irritation in about half of all users. It also does not affect veneers, restorations, or other forms of artificial teeth, so the mouth may appear to have more than one color after treatment. Most dentists will discuss these risks and ways to prevent these problems with patients prior to administering or dispensing whitening products.

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