Many people who no longer enjoy their yellow or deeply stained teeth turn to at-home whitening treatments to improve their smile. These store-bought treatments come in the form of whitening toothpaste, mouthwash, strips, or trays. People with dull-looking teeth opt for these at-home solutions as they are easy to access, readily available, and done at their convenience.
Over-the-counter whitening treatments are designed to whiten your smile with hydrogen peroxide. While it is perfectly safe to try these treatments, we at Newbury Dental Group believe that teeth whitening done in our dental office is the best solution for you.
That’s why we want to share why you should ditch the slimy or gel-filled store-bought remedies and consult with the dentists at our family dentistry.
Are At-Home Whitening Treatments Safe and Effective?
According to the American Dental Association, most store-bought hydrogen peroxide whiteners are safe and effective for our teeth. However, what you buy in the store is not nearly as effective as a treatment from a professional dental office.
Whitening your teeth at home can increase your risk of overexposure to the hydrogen peroxide solution, resulting in tooth sensitivity. Additionally, these store-bought solutions will only remove the surface stains on your teeth.
Types of Store-Bought Teeth Whitening Solutions
Teeth Whitening Strips: These thin, slimy pieces stick to your smile like bandaids and often only whiten your front dentitions. Many times the whitening solutions may be too weak to bleach your teeth properly. Other times, the solution can be too strong to use and ingest.
Teeth Whitening Trays: The main disadvantage of store-bought whitening trays is that they fit a universal smile, not your smile precisely. Over time, your smile can cause the dental trays to become loose, or even cause the solution to leak, leaving you with irritated gums.
Why Should I Receive Professional Teeth Whitening Procedures?
Whitening done under the supervision of our professional dentists is the safest option available. Our dental staff will ensure that your teeth are healthy to prevent any sensitivity or pain. Then, we administer our whitening solutions in controlled amounts to produce higher quality results than at-home kits.
Types of Teeth Whitening Treatments at Newbury Dental Group
Dentist-Dispensed Take-Home Whitening Trays: Our Thousand Oaks dentist will take an impression of your teeth to create custom whitening trays in a dental lab. These differ from store-bought whitening trays as they fit securely around your teeth and will not leak solution into your mouth. We give patients a solution to take home and use it with the whitening trays. Wear the solution for a couple of hours every night, for a week or more.
Zoom Whitening: It could take several weeks to get desired results with store-bought options. Zoom whitening is the best way to improve your smile’s appearance and whiten your smile by eight shades or more. Our whitening solution penetrates the enamel to reduce yellow stains and produce dramatic results after one visit.
Conclusion
It is essential to consult with a Thousand Oaks dentist before using teeth whitening treatments. At-home teeth whitening treatments could potentially do more harm than good for your smile. Opting for our in-office whitening solutions provide better and faster results for your smile. If our teeth whitening procedure cannot penetrate your smile, cosmetic dental procedures such as dental veneers may be an option.
Schedule an appointment to speak with our professional dentists today and receive the perfect teeth whitening treatment.