Everyone wants a bright pearly smile, and there are quite a lot of different ways to achieve that look. It is always hard to make a choice, but it may help you if you know that there are only two options you can choose from – professional bleaching or using at-home bleaching products. 

However, both teeth-whitening options will contain peroxide-based bleaching agents. As a general rule, bleaching from home comes with some form of risk. At-home products include using products that contain between 3 and 20 percent carbamide or hydrogen peroxides, which can damage your teeth’ enamel if not used properly.

Professional, in-office treatment systems contain 15 to 43 percent peroxide, so it means it is way aggressive, but it is done under the doctor’s supervision and delivers optimum results in a relatively short amount of time. 

This method of whitening has gained popularity since it guarantees the best possible results. If you don’t want all of the fuss while using at-home teeth whitening kit or are dissatisfied with their effect, you should consider visiting your dentist.

What To Expect From Professional Teeth Whitening Treatment

Professional teeth whitening is not a complicated procedure, but it does require an expert dentist to avoid injury to the gum area. It is recommended for people with permanent teeth and good oral health, which means you do not have problems with receding gum lines or too sensitive gums. The whole procedure takes from 60 to 90 minutes.

Before starting, the dentist will make a record of the current shade of your teeth and clean your teeth and gums from plaque and tartar since they’ll need to work with a clean slate of teeth. They use pumice, a grainy material that removes the plaque easily.

They’ll place a rubber shield to protect your gums, cheeks, lips, and tongue. To keep your teeth dry, they will place a gauze. 

After this is done, they will apply the bleaching agent only on the front surface. This will be either a solution of 10-35 percent carbamide or hydrogen peroxide. Some whitening products require a curing light or laser to activate the peroxide. The bleaching agent will sit on your teeth for 30 to 60 minutes then whipped off. Dentists will reapply a bleaching agent to remove the second layer of stain.

When the optimum shade has been reached or the maximum time has passed, the teeth must be rinsed. Typically a fluoride application is used to help ease the tooth sensitivity, which is a usual side effect.

If your teeth still aren’t white as you want, an additional visit will be scheduled, but you must wait at least two weeks before a new appointment since this procedure makes your teeth sensitive.

After this procedure, you should avoid foods and beverages with a high level of pigment for at least 24 hours. That means no coffee, tea, tomato juice, beets, yellow mustard, black grapes, candies, and red wine. Smoking should also be avoided.

Professional At-Home Teeth Whitening Kits

Still, many people are turning to professional at-home whitening kits since they are a lot cheaper than professional bleaching. These whitening kits must be obtained from your dentist and require a dental impression so they can make a custom-fitted tray perfectly contoured to your teeth.

To achieve desired results, you will need to wear the trays an hour a day over two weeks. This is not a difficult process; the only thing is that you must remember to wear the tray, and you will get far better results than after using drugstore teeth whitening products.

An at-home kit may be a perfect choice if you can’t afford professional treatments; also, trays can last up to 4 years, making them a great investment. 

The Bottom Line

It is a misconception that a teeth whitening procedure can whiten up your teeth in just one visit. It will make a significant change in a current teeth shade, but you will need to make a few more appointments to achieve the desired shade.

At-home treatments can’t grant the best possible results, and if you are not careful enough, you can make things worse and even damage your gums and teeth enamel. In those cases, professional help is needed to fix now two problems instead of one. 

If you are still not sure what to do, make an appointment with your dentist Calgary and tell them what exactly you want to achieve and they will for sure recommend you the best possible treatment.