The idea of going to a dental office to get your teeth whitened might sound like a hassle. This is especially true when you notice that there are plenty of over-the-counter teeth whitening kits.
Still, you’ve probably noticed that folks visit the dentist to whiten their teeth and you may be wondering why.
What’s in the Whitener?
The first thing you should know is what’s inside those whitening kits. The key ingredient in these kits is hydrogen peroxide or carbamine. You’ll find these ingredients in store products and in the solutions dentists use.
When people find this out, they don’t see the point of going to the dentist, but there’s a little more to dig up.
The following is the difference between at-home products and whitening solutions used by dentists:
- At-home products contain 3 to 20 percent of these ingredients.
- In-office products contain 15 to 43 percent of these ingredients.
Joseph P. Schmidt D.D.S. points out this difference. Schmidt says that “whitening at a dental office normally works faster,” especially if you’re comparing the results to at-home products.
Okay, so now we know that going to the dentist will give you access to a stronger whitener, but will that help whiten your teeth?
Will Your Teeth be Whiter?
Yes, going to the dentist to get this procedure should help improve your smile more effectively than if you were to do this at home. The peroxide solution is simply stronger at the dental office.
Since it’s stronger, it should be able to whiten your teeth better. On top of that, you should be happy to know that going to the dentist for this procedure should make the process go faster.
At-home products usually take a while before they yield some of your desired results. We know some folks quit because it takes a long time to see the results they want.
Going to the dentist to get this job done is much faster, thanks to some of the techniques used to make things faster, like the heat or light application. When the dentist applies this, it helps intensify the power of the product on your teeth.
You could end up with teeth that are three to eight shades whiter than what you started with.
Yes, it is a little more expensive to work with a dentist, but your smile is something you should invest in. Many folks make initial judgements of a person based solely on his or her smile.
Think about how many times first impressions matter, like the following:
- First dates
- A job interview
- A reunion with folks
It should also be pointed out that you might have to visit the dentist a few times to complete this procedure.
Each visit could take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour, so try to keep that in mind. There are a few dentists out there with specialized tools who might be able to finish your whitening procedure in just two hours.
The Vital Benefit of Going to the Dentist
The solution that the dentist is going to be using is pretty strong. The solution is safe enough, but if your teeth are exposed to it for too long, then there could be a problem.
Tooth sensitivity is a real problem, and it is caused by all sorts of things. Sometimes, this happens because you’ve got cavities, but other times, it could because you ate too many acidic foods.
Since you know how sensitive your teeth might be, you probably can guess what could happen if you mishandle whitening kits.
A dentist knows how much to apply and when to remove it to make sure it doesn’t damage your teeth’s enamel. If you lose too much of this, you can start feeling pain when you’re in cold weather or if you eat ice cream.
There’s no need to damage your teeth to make your teeth whiter. We think you should work with a professional dentist to help make your teeth as white as a white lily.