Thinking Of Teeth Whitening? What You Need To Know About The Different Methods
Teeth Whitening has exploded as a new industry in recent years. Everwhere you look, there are adverts for clinics, salons, “at home” kits.
Because there are so manychoices for whitening, you probably need some help to narrow down the choices
So what is the difference between the teeth whitening products you can buy online and professional teeth whitening? Let’s take a look:
The two main option have certain strengths and weaknesses, as you can see analyzing the elements that differentiate them.
- The power/concentration of the whitening agent – As you probably expected, the products used at home offer a weaker version of tooth whitening, due to the lower concentration of hydrogen or carbamide peroxide they contain (3-6%). By comparison, professional whitening in the dental clinics use products with 15-43% concentrations.
- The additional measures of protection – In his dentist’s office, the physician will apply a special gel (which has the role of a protective “shield) to your teeth and gums to keep your mouth safe from the bleaching effects. Also, the gels your dentists give you for home use are tested and meet certain safety standards.
- The costs – Home whitening methods are less expensive than those offered by a specialized office – yet you still need to take into account the quality / price ratio.
- Whether the process is supervised or not – Using the services of a clinic has more benefits than the methods used at home. First, your dentist can check your entire dental history and can perform a routine examination, asking questions on your medical history – this way he has a good chance to determine the cause of yellow teeth, and the proper method of whitening.
If you go to a dentist, you will benefit from his experience and you will come to his office several times for him to personally check whether there are signs of irritation, if his instructions have been followed or if the teeth whitening process is running correctly. If you resort to methods for individual use, you’re on your own.
However, there are methods like the laser teeth whitening that can be performed only by a specialist, (though they don’t really use a laser – it’s a blue light used to react with the gels).
The decision really is a matter of cost compared to convenience. Yes, you will get a better result having teeth whitened in a clinic; however, you will pay more for the privilege. Home teeth whitening kits are cheaper, and perhaps less time consuming, so may be a better option if you don’t need to go to much lighter on shade, and don’t have other dental problems like sensitive teeth.