How to Choose the Right Teeth Whitening Option for You

Teeth whitening treatments are a great way to enhance the appearance of your smile and increase your confidence. These treatments involve using peroxide-based bleaching agents to remove stains from teeth surfaces and deep within them.

Also known as teeth bleaching, teeth whitening treatments can whiten teeth by up to eight shades during a single session. In-office whitening procedures that involve using highly concentrated bleaching agents to whiten teeth are the fastest way to improve the color of teeth. Lasers are sometimes used during in-office whitening treatments to hasten the process. Conventional whitening treatments can take up to two hours, while laser-assisted whitening treatments can be completed in as little as an hour.

Choosing the optimal teeth whitening treatment for you and your family members

Submerging teeth in peroxide-based bleaching agents is a highly effective way to whiten them, but the procedure does not work on all types of stains. For example, stains caused by tetracycline antibiotics, fluorosis, or decay do not respond to bleaching agents. However, such stains can be “whitened” by covering them up with cosmetic restorations like composite resin, veneers, or crowns.

The ideal way to find out what type of teeth bleaching treatment is right for you is a consultation with a dentist. The patient’s teeth are evaluated during the appointment to determine what type of stains they have, and existing issues like gum disease and tooth decay are handled. Dentists typically recommend treating existing issues in the mouth before teeth whitening treatments since the procedure can worsen them.

The dentist will recommend the most appropriate whitening treatment based on their evaluation once existing issues have been addressed. Some of the whitening treatments a dentist might recommend include:

1. Professional teeth whitening

This procedure is performed at the clinic under the dentist’s supervision. It involves using highly concentrated whitening products that contain up to 40% peroxide. That is significantly more concentrated than over-the-counter whitening kits that rarely contain more than 5% peroxide.

A single in-office treatment can improve the whiteness of teeth by up to eight shades after a single visit. For many patients, that is enough for them to get their desired level of whiteness, while those with badly discolored teeth might need multiple treatments to reach their target shade.

Professional bleaching treatments usually involve using a customized mouth tray to ensure the patient’s teeth are evenly coated with the bleaching agent and to prevent the product from making contact with their gums. Professional teeth whitening treatments are typically recommended for patients who have stains caused by the things they consume, smoking, or aging. Lasers can be used to speed up these treatments.

2. At-home whitening

These treatments involve using whitening kits provided by dentists. They also contain bleaching agents that are significantly more concentrated than over-the-counter kits and customized trays to optimize treatment.

At-home kits usually take weeks of consistent use to match the results of in-office whitening treatments. They are typically provided for patients with sensitive teeth, those working on a budget, and people looking to maintain the results of professional whitening.