Over the Counter Versus Professional Teeth Whitening

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is a safe method to brighten up your smile, and can be done professionally or with products purchased at the store. While purchasing over the counter products is a much cheaper method to get white teeth, the end results are just not as comfortable or effective as seeing a professional for the job. 

Hydrogen peroxide is the main ingredient used in teeth whitening – both professionally and over the counter. However, with products like whitening strips that can be bought at home, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is much lower than a professional teeth whitening system. This is because, when using a store-bought product like whitening strips, the top edge of the strip is likely to lay on the gums. With enough hydrogen peroxide, this could cause burning of the gums. As a result, whitening strips maintain a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide. This means that it will take more applications and more time to achieve the same result as a professional system.

Teeth Whitening Process

During a professional teeth whitening treatment, hydrogen peroxide is held in a custom made tray to fit the teeth of the patient. This tray, which is simply thin plastic, forms a seal around the gumline 

and allows the hydrogen peroxide to hit the teeth without hitting any gum tissue. Since these plastic trays are customized to each patient, an impression must be made prior to the first whitening visit. 

Typically, younger patients will have less tooth discoloration than older patients. As a result, younger patients are more likely to feel sensitivity during the tooth whitening process. The nerves in the teeth of older patients have receded further inside the tooth itself, which creates a stronger shield for whitening gel. It is much easier to regulate sensitivity under the supervision of a professional dentist.

 Professional teeth whitening services are certainly worth the higher cost. They are more effective given the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, and the overall process is more comfortable than at-home attempts. Maxus Dental provides teeth whitening services to all patients, and even offers accelerated whitening as an option for some patients. Plus, significant change can be seen in just four weeks! Contact Maxus Dental today to learn about our teeth whitening offers.