Comparing DIY Teeth Bleaching Against Dentist Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is necessary because tiny cranks and fissures are formed in the teeth enamel layer after years of non stop chewing and meshing of our teeth. When tiny food particles seep into these fissures and reach the underlying dentin layer, the teeth surface will look yellowed and dull to the naked eye. Besides foods, the worst culprits to making dirtying white teeth are usually cigarette smoke and acidic and colored beverages such as fruit juices, red wine, coffee, soft drinks etc.

The good news is that there is no need to feel shy or let your discolored teeth affects your social life and self esteem. There are so many effective teeth whitening options available can help many of us get back their pearly bright white smiles. For example, you can choose to visit a dentist for several laser teeth cleaning or buy at home tooth whitening solutions such as abrasive based tooth pastes, bleaching strips and gels, mouthpieces etc.
So which teeth whitening product or procedure should you choose? In many options, a carbide peroxide based bleaching gel is involved. For example, the laser teeth treatments involve the dentist applying a teeth gel while DIY at home whitening strips from Crest are preloaded with peroxide gels. The difference is that over the counter tooth whitening products bought from stores and malls only contain limited concentration between 10% and 25% of carbide peroxide compared to those used by dentists which can contain up to 45% bleaching agent. This is because there are side effects and risks involved such as gum burns, teeth sensitivity, over bleaching when there is a lot of hydrogen peroxide left on our teeth, that is why the high strength teeth whitening are best left to the trained and qualified dentists.

When teeth gel is used, the number one problem is that of your saliva diluting it and washing it off the teeth surface. A teeth tray is essential here to cover up the teeth during the bleaching process and ensure the bleaching gel is constantly in touch with the teeth. Dentist whitening procedures usually involve making a mold of your teeth so that a prescription teeth tray is made for the above purpose. Most off the shelf OTC tooth bleaching kits only come with a generic mouth piece so they tend to fit poorly. The result is often gum irritation because you try too hard to squeeze into them or uneven teeth bleaching because the gel leak out from some parts of your teeth.

If you need to get a bright smile fast, in-office dentist whitening procedures are the best option because the prescription based teeth gel contains a higher carbide peroxide concentration. There are also specialized cool laser equipment that can be used to quicken the teeth bleaching process. Most in-office procedures can be completed within an hour, and most of the time, an average case require no more than 4 sessions to achieve the pearly white brighter smile. If you have sensitive teeth or existing gum problems, then all the more you should have your tooth whitening done by a dentist.

If you do not want to spend too much on getting a fabulous smile, you can try out at home DIY tooth beaching products that usually cost no more than $50. They tend to work more slowly so expect several weeks of usage before you can see visible improvements in your teeth color. Comparatively, an in-office procedure cost much more than that of DIY over the counter bleaching. Average costs range between $300 and $2,000 for professional dentist laser teeth whitening, while getting a set of customized teeth trays usually range around $200.

By Rodney Spence