Teeth Whitening at Home or at the Dentist?
The Best Place for Teeth Whitening — at Home or at the Dentist?
Who doesn’t want a more beautiful smile? The key to achieving this goal is sometimes as simple as whitening your teeth.
Whitening at home
Choosing to use an over-the-counter product (usually whitening strips) with the ADA seal of approval is certainly a viable option. However, it’s important to understand that while they are the most inexpensive method available, they may take longer to achieve maximum whitening. That’s because the at-home kits sold at your dentist’s office contain a much higher percentage of the active whitening ingredient than the over-the-counter solutions do. Of course, your actual results depend on your beginning shade: the darker it is, the longer it may take (in time and materials) to get to your optimum shade.
It’s a good idea to first take a closeup photo of your teeth to compare with an end-result photo. Otherwise, it’s hard to remember where you started and whether you had any change in color after the whitening procedure.
It’s also important to check the expiration date on the box. Make sure you use the product before that date, for maximum effectiveness in whitening.
Be aware that some of the treatments could cause some discomfort. If you find that these at-home whitening methods cause you sensitivity, you might want to consider whitening only every other day, rather than every day. And those who experience more than just a little discomfort, sometimes turn to over-the-counter ibuprofen to alleviate the pain.
It’s also important to keep in mind, that no whitening method will change the color of dentures, crowns, white fillings, bonding, or veneers. If you have any of these visible artificial teeth or components in your smile, it may be best to consult with your dentist to see what treatment they would advise.
Whitening at the dentist’s office
Do you have a special occasion coming up, such as a wedding or a reunion? This would be the perfect time to do an in-office whitening procedure, which can show a dramatic improvement in the brightness of your smile in as little as one-and-a-half hours.
There are a few advantages of the in-office whitening procedures:
The work is done for you, all in one sitting, instead of multiple applications over a few weeks at home.
The material is professional strength, which has a higher percentage of the active ingredient, so it whitens in less time than over-the-counter materials would.
Your teeth may be less sensitive to the formula than they would to other DIY whitening procedures
Although it may be a bit more expensive than a do-it-yourself procedures, it is still affordable, and the quality of the results makes it worthwhile.
If you have tried whitening in the past with marginal success, know that the materials and methods have improved over time, allowing your dentist to now successfully whiten even the most difficult cases.
So, while over-the-counter whitening products can make a difference, they are not without their limitations. That’s why for a truly lasting and noticeably whiter smile, the best plan is for you to consult with your dentist to see which whitening procedures can give you the smile you have always wanted!