There are multiple ways to make your teeth brighter and whiter. Some of them you can do at home with kits you buy over the counter, and some of them require a trip to the dentist. Dental clinics usually have access to chemicals and tools that can do a better job than the over-the-counter whitening products.

How is Dental Clinic Teeth Whitening Different?

If you go to the dentist’s office, they will use a light-activated bleach. The dentist applies bleach to the teeth and then uses a light to activate the bleach and speed up the effects of the bleach. Bleach removes both surface and deep-seated stains on the teeth. Most in-office bleaching techniques use 15 to 35 percent hydrogen peroxide gels. The gums are shielded and the bleach gel is applied once or twice for 15 or 30 minutes at a time. This method usually only requires one trip to the dentist and takes less than an hour. Whitening procedures done at the dentist’s office are usually more expensive than at-home kits.

Which Option Should I Choose?

Getting your teeth whitened at the dentist works best on discoloration caused by age, consumptions of staining and acidic drinks such as coffee, red wine, and soda, and smoking. For a few days after a dental office whitening, your teeth may be sensitive to very hot or cold temperatures. Whitening may also irritate the gums for a short time. These side effects can also happen with at-home whitening, but usually not as intense.

There is also a tooth whitening method that you have to first get from your dentist but can then use at home. The dentist creates a custom mold of your mouth, and at home you place a bleach solution into the trays and wear them a few hours a day or overnight for a few weeks. With this type of bleaching, you can get more solution and whiten your teeth whenever you’d like.

Over-the-counter whitening kids can be found at most drugstores. These whitening kits are made of strips or trays that contain a bleach solution, which you wear for a few hours or overnight. These are typically inexpensive, but the results are not as intense and do not last as long as the options you can get at or from the dentist’s office. Be mindful that none of these whitening procedures will work on replacement teeth such as implants or crowns. It also will not work on teeth stained by antibiotics. Additionally, none of these whitening methods are permanent. Your teeth are still vulnerable to stains from certain foods and drinks, as well as tobacco.

If you think you need to have professional teeth whitening done at a dentist’s office, call us today to schedule an appointment: 602-482-5100.