5 Reasons Why It's Better to Have Dental Teeth Whitening

5 Reasons Why It's Better to Have Dental Teeth Whitening

At home, "do it yourself" teeth whitening kits can seem convenient and affordable. However, many don't consider the current health of their teeth or future impacts of over the counter whitening. Dentist teeth whitening is highly recommended for a multitude of reasons. From health and effectiveness, to properly fitting trays and long term considerations, see exactly why we advise dentist teeth whitening over at home kits.

1. Your Oral Health Now

The first question before any whitening should be, "Are my teeth healthy enough for whitening?" Your dentist is the only person who can give you the answers. If your teeth are not healthy enough for whitening, weakening and long term damage can occur. A cavity can quickly become highly uncomfortable with the use of at home whitening kits as well. However, with dentist teeth whitening, your dentist is able to take precautions to protect sensitive areas such repairing cavities before whitening and applying a barrier to prevent irritation of the gums. Only your dentist can tell you whether or not you are safe for whitening and give you the protection you need to prevent further damage when you are ready to whiten.

2. Effectiveness of Dentist Teeth Whitening

It should come as no surprise that at home dental whitening kits are not as powerful and effective as dentist teeth whitening. At home kits, from strips to gels and everything in between, generally use approximately three percent to ten percent hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth. This is due to the fact that it needs to be used regularly and can also be overused. By going through dentist teeth whitening, you are in a much more controlled environment and the whitening solution is able to contain fifteen to thirty five percent hydrogen peroxide, making it much stronger and more effective for whitening your teeth.

3. Time Required

Although saving yourself a trip to the dentist by using at home whitening kits may seem to save time, you are actually more likely to create a more time consuming process for yourself. Depending on your desired results, many whitenings may need to be done with at home kits to produce the same results that one office visit will accomplish. Generally, a single one hour dentist teeth whitening office visit can produce results that can last up to six months. With the do it yourself kits, you would be spending this time still working up to your results instead of flaunting a fabulously whiter smile.

4. Personal Shape of Teeth and Properly Fitting Trays

Chances are, your teeth are not perfectly straight across. Unless you have had your teeth filed, they are most likely scalloped. At home strips will not conform properly to these tiny patterns, creating little points of your teeth that have resisted whitening. With dentist teeth whitening, uniformly whitened teeth are able to be accomplished.

5. Long Term Impact Consideration

Your dentist already knows that teeth whitening is not meant to be done consistently. When you use at home whitening kits, you will not be able to see the warning signs that your teeth have had too much. With dentist teeth whitening, your dentist will be able to tell you when it would be wisest to take breaks from whitening, as to not permanently damage your teeth. Any whitening method can be harmful if overdone. Teeth that have been exposed to excessive whitening run the risk of turning a chalky, blue, or translucent color. Dentist teeth whitening is your best defense against this risk, as your dentist will know when it is time to stop whitening.