The whole world seems to be seeking a whiter, brighter smile now days. And there are a plethora of products and cosmetic dentists out there just itching to put the "pearly" back into our "pearly whites." But which options are best, over-the-counter strips and bleaching trays, dentist dispensed take-home kits, or one-hour professional whitening offered in dental offices. The answer depends upon a variety of issues, such as time, money, discipline, mouth sensitivity and the degree of whitening one seeks. The following is a break-down of some of the benefits and disadvantages of each type of treatment.
Over-the-counter options offer the obvious advantage of economics. Whitening strips can cost as little as $25 and at-home bleaching trays range from $50 to $100 compared with treatments in a dental office which can cost in the neighborhood of $700 per visit. The good news for those who are priced out of the professional whitening realm is that the over-the-counter products do work to an extent. They just take time and discipline.
While in-office treatments can brighten up to 5-8 shades in a one-hour visit, strips, paint-on gels and at-home trays take weeks of daily treatment to offer results. On average, strips and paint-on gels offer a 3-4 shade difference over a period of several weeks. At-home trays increase the shade difference to 6, but still require a daily commitment for weeks for the results to appear. In-office treatments offer immediate results in 45 minutes to an hour.
In-office treatments use stronger bleaching agents, sometimes activated by a light source for more effective results. Hydrogen peroxide in concentrations ranging from 9-40 percent is commonly used by dentists to quickly brighten teeth. Due to mouth sensitivity issues, the stronger bleaching agents cannot be used safely for over-the counter treatments, which generally use carbamide peroxide, at strengths that roughly equal 5 percent the of in-office treatments. To guard the gums, lips and mouth, dental offices use protective measures during treatment. The immediate results offered by in-office treatments attract scores of men and women to cosmetic dental offices each year, while the price of those treatments keeps many others out.
A good intermediate option is dentist dispensed take-home kits. These kits can cost anywhere from $100-$400 dollars, less than one-hour procedures, and offer several advantages over "going it alone" with drug store options. For instance, these kits use a higher percentage of bleach than over-the-counter products, and use custom fit trays to provide better overall contact between the bleaching gel and teeth while keeping it away from sensitive gums and lips. The fact that these kits are dentist dispensed provides the added benefit of the "coaching" many of us need to be as disciplined about our treatments as needed for optimal results. Professionally dispensed take-home kits also offer better long-term results than one-hour whitening, which makes many dentists and patients see it as the best over-all option.
When navigating the waters of your tooth whitening options, a trip to the dentist is always a good idea. Your dentist can asses the degree of tooth discoloration you face as well as its underlying cause, and direct you toward an over-the-counter or professional option that will address your specific whitening needs.
Over-the-counter options offer the obvious advantage of economics. Whitening strips can cost as little as $25 and at-home bleaching trays range from $50 to $100 compared with treatments in a dental office which can cost in the neighborhood of $700 per visit. The good news for those who are priced out of the professional whitening realm is that the over-the-counter products do work to an extent. They just take time and discipline.
While in-office treatments can brighten up to 5-8 shades in a one-hour visit, strips, paint-on gels and at-home trays take weeks of daily treatment to offer results. On average, strips and paint-on gels offer a 3-4 shade difference over a period of several weeks. At-home trays increase the shade difference to 6, but still require a daily commitment for weeks for the results to appear. In-office treatments offer immediate results in 45 minutes to an hour.
In-office treatments use stronger bleaching agents, sometimes activated by a light source for more effective results. Hydrogen peroxide in concentrations ranging from 9-40 percent is commonly used by dentists to quickly brighten teeth. Due to mouth sensitivity issues, the stronger bleaching agents cannot be used safely for over-the counter treatments, which generally use carbamide peroxide, at strengths that roughly equal 5 percent the of in-office treatments. To guard the gums, lips and mouth, dental offices use protective measures during treatment. The immediate results offered by in-office treatments attract scores of men and women to cosmetic dental offices each year, while the price of those treatments keeps many others out.
A good intermediate option is dentist dispensed take-home kits. These kits can cost anywhere from $100-$400 dollars, less than one-hour procedures, and offer several advantages over "going it alone" with drug store options. For instance, these kits use a higher percentage of bleach than over-the-counter products, and use custom fit trays to provide better overall contact between the bleaching gel and teeth while keeping it away from sensitive gums and lips. The fact that these kits are dentist dispensed provides the added benefit of the "coaching" many of us need to be as disciplined about our treatments as needed for optimal results. Professionally dispensed take-home kits also offer better long-term results than one-hour whitening, which makes many dentists and patients see it as the best over-all option.
When navigating the waters of your tooth whitening options, a trip to the dentist is always a good idea. Your dentist can asses the degree of tooth discoloration you face as well as its underlying cause, and direct you toward an over-the-counter or professional option that will address your specific whitening needs.
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