Teeth Whitening Options From Your Dentist

Teeth whitening treatments can help you achieve the bright smile you have always wanted. Dentists have two main options they offer patients regarding whitening their teeth: professional teeth whitening and at-home whitening kits. Professional teeth bleaching treatments can be broken down into conventional and laser whitening treatments.

These two teeth-whitening alternatives use peroxide-based chemicals as bleaching agents. What differentiates them is the concentration of the bleaching agent. The products used for in-office professional whitening can contain as much as 43% peroxide, while at-home whitening kits typically have no more than 20%.

The longer these teeth-bleaching agents are kept on teeth, the whiter they become. However, the higher the peroxide concentration, the less time the product is typically left on teeth since it dehydrates them and increases sensitivity.

Teeth bleaching treatments are effective on most types of stains, like those caused by aging, the tannins in foods and beverages, and stains caused by tobacco. However, these treatments do not get rid of stains caused by decay, taking tetracycline antibiotics, or fluorosis.

The two main teeth whitening options offered by dentists

Let us take a closer look at the similarities and differences between in-office whitening treatments and at-home kits:

1. Professional in-office whitening treatments

This is the fastest way to significantly improve the color of your teeth. The bleaching agents used for these treatments contain high concentrations of peroxide, so they are typically not sold to the public. These products have to be used under the supervision of a dentist who will first make sure the patient’s teeth are healthy enough for whitening treatments. The dentist will also take steps like providing a custom mouth tray to keep the bleaching agent from irritating soft tissues in the mouth. A single professional whitening treatment improves the color of teeth by up to eight shades, and it only takes a couple of hours.

2. Laser whitening treatments

This procedure is a lot like conventional whitening treatments, but it involves using a laser to speed up the bleaching process. Patients typically do not need a mouth tray during these treatments. A protective gel is applied to the patient’s gums to protect them, and the bleaching agent is applied to the patient’s teeth with a brush.

A laser is then used to speed up the reaction between stains and the bleaching agent. Laser bleaching treatments get similar results to conventional in-office treatments while taking half the time.

3. At-home whitening kits

At-home whitening kits involve providing patients with bleaching products and mouth trays they can use to whiten their teeth at home. The products they use are not as concentrated as the bleaching agents dentists use for in-office treatments, but they are a lot stronger than over-the-counter whitening kits.

The products used for at-home whitening are a lot gentler on teeth than those used for in-office treatments, but they bring about similar results after a few weeks of consistent use. These kits are sometimes recommended for patients with sensitive teeth, and they are typically more affordable than in-office treatments. They are also an effective way for patients to maintain their results after in-office bleaching.