What's the Difference Between the Different Teeth Whitening Methods?

This is a question that we hear all of the time, and in an attempt to answer this question, here is this post.

There are several different methods for teeth whitening and all have their very own distinct advantages and disadvantages. The three main methods are in-office (dentist administered), take-home trays, and over the counter (OTC).

In-office teeth whitening is performed by your dentist in his/her office. Your dentist usually uses one of three processes: the BriteSmile® process, the Zoom!® process, and the laser process. These processes have all been rigorously tested and have proven in their effectiveness and safety. However, these processes are all expensive and require extensive preparation to protect your gums and lips.

The Zoom!® process uses hydrogen peroxide levels in excess of 30% and uses a UV lamp to activate the whitening agent. The problem with this is that in such high concentrations hydrogen peroxide can damage gums and the UV light can essentially give your lips and gums a "sunburn." BriteSmile® also uses high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, somewhere between 15%-20% and uses a laser to activate the whitening agent. Both methods, along with traditional laser whitening systems, take about an hour to take full effect and can effectively drain your bank account. BriteSmile® costs anywhere from about $300 and up, the Zoom!® process costs about $600 and up, and traditional laser teeth whitening can range into the thousands. With these in-office whitening methods you can expect to see about 7-9 shades difference in your smile.

Take-home trays from your dentist can be a more cost-effective means of having your dentist whiten your teeth, albeit more time consuming. Your dentist will take impressions of your teeth and have form-fitting trays made for you to take home and apply the whitening agent yourself and sleep with it in for a few weeks to a couple of months. The disadvantage of this is that you must stick to your regimen for many weeks to see entire results and it takes a couple of weeks of waiting after your initial visit to the dentist before you can get started. With these whitening take-home trays you can expect to see about 5 shades difference in your smile.

The last and seemingly most economical option is to purchase over-the-counter strips or whitening trays. The whitening strips (made by a variety of companies) usually start at about $20 and need to be used in a regular regiment from about two weeks to a month at your convenience. The trays are about the same price and are also made by a variety of companies as well and require the same sort of regimen. Even though the strips and trays are the cheaper alternative to the previous mentioned methods, they are perhaps the least effective. The strips and trays only cover your front teeth and also have a lower concentration of peroxide and therefore take many times longer for you to see and difference in your smile, which may be at the most of 2 shades difference. Another problem is that these are difficult to use. The strips usually stick to your gums or fingers (and in many cases causing them to turn white) and the trays are messy because most of the time the whitening gel has spilled in the package.

Whatever method you choose, make sure to visit your dentist first to ensure that you are good candidate for teeth whitening and that you do not have any current dental problems that could cause you any pain or sensitivity. The good thing is that nearly everyone is a good candidate except for women who are pregnant or nursing because there have not been any studies done to determine if there are any side effects from the teeth whitening agents.

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