Professional Dental Bleaching vs. At-Home Tooth Whitening
The team here at Heringer Dentistry has helped countless patients in and around Bismarck achieve beautiful and healthy smiles. This often involves brightening stained teeth, which can easily be done thanks to teeth whitening, a popular cosmetic dentistry option.
Given the numerous teeth whitening products on the market, we feel it's useful to compare at-home teeth whitening products to professional, in-office teeth whitening just to you understand why one is superior to the other.
About Teeth Whitening and How It Works
Teeth whitening whitening is a procedure that involves the bleaching of the tooth structure. Special solutions are used to whiten stains rather than lift them. There are different systems and approaches to whitening teeth, but the underlying principle is still the same.
At-Home Teeth Whitening Treatment
At-home teeth whitening refers to various over-the-counter dental bleaching products that can whiten your smile to varying degrees. They come in different forms, such as:
- Teeth whitening chewing gum
- Teeth whitening toothpaste
- Teeth whitening mouthwash
- Teeth whitening strips
- Teeth whitening tray systems
The strips and the tray systems are generally the best options for teeth whitening, whereas the chewing gum and toothpaste tends to have limited effect all things considered.
How Effective Is At-Home Teeth Whitening?
Speaking about whitening strips and tray systems, at-home teeth whitening can be somewhat effective at addressing extrinsic dental stains, such as those caused by coffee, tea, and tobacco products. While somewhat effective, they may not be able to bleach severe dental stains. Optimal results with at-home teeth whitening can take many weeks or even months to achieve.
Professional Teeth Whitening Treatment
Professional teeth whitening treatment refers to bleaching that is performed by a dentist at an office. This typically will involve the use of advanced laser light technology that helps with deeper bleaching and brightening of stained or discolored tooth structure.
Given the technology used and the strength of the bleaching agent, professional teeth whitening treatment can only be performed under the supervision of a skilled dentist.
The Benefits of Professional Teeth Whitening
There are many benefits of undergoing professional teeth whitening rather than using over-the-counter teeth whitening products. They are as follows:
- Professional teeth whitening yields faster results than at-home whitening
- A single professional whitening session can brighten a smile by up to eight shades
- Professional teeth whitening is safer because of dentist supervision
- Patients are less likely to experience major tooth sensitivity thanks to careful monitoring and use of desensitizers after treatment
- Professional teeth whitening can address deep-set stains
For major stains and discoloration, multiple dentist-supervised teeth whitening treatments can be performed.
Bottom Line: Teeth Whitening with a Dentist Is Superior to At-Home Bleaching
If you're looking for fast, safe, and highly effective treatment for tooth discoloration and major stains, undergoing teeth whitening with a skilled cosmetic dentist is your best bet. If your tooth discoloration is too serious for teeth whitening treatment to address, another cosmetic dentistry option can be recommended. We'll work with you to ensure the best possible results that look natural.
Schedule a Consultation at Heringer Dentistry
For more information about teeth whitening and how you can make you smile look its absolute best, be sure to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. The entire team at Heringer Dentistry looks forward to your visit and helping you have the best smile possible.
