There are so many tooth-whitening products available at chemists and supermarkets. So people are often curious about the difference between doing it yourself and getting your teeth whitened at the dentist’s office.
The difference is all about the strength of the whitening agent and safety.
At Macquarie Dentists in Macquarie Park, professional teeth whitening uses a higher-concentration hydrogen peroxide gel that is carefully applied by your dentist. A specialised whitening light is used to accelerate the process and achieve a brighter result in a shorter time. Because the whitening gel is stronger, we place a protective barrier over the gums and lips to prevent irritation and ensure the treatment is comfortable and safe.
The Tooth Whitening Process
A professional whitening appointment usually takes around 1.5 to 2 hours. After preparing the teeth and protecting the gums, the whitening gel is applied in cycles. Each whitening cycle lasts approximately 12 minutes. After each cycle we check the shade of your teeth and reapply the gel if further whitening is desired. Most patients complete three to four cycles, depending on their starting shade and desired result.
Maintaining Your Whitening Results
Everyone has their own natural teeth colour, in the same way that you have your own skin or hair colour. Once you change that colour by bleaching it, it will gradually return to its natural colour. This is why it is necessary to repeat the process, or at least top it up regularly, and the best way to do this is at home.
Depending on your diet—and most particularly on what you drink—you will need to bleach your teeth at home from anything between six to 12 months after the initial treatment by your dentist. Someone who drinks black coffee or red wine or any deeply coloured drinks regularly will notice that the relapse rate is a lot faster than someone who doesn’t. So they will have to do home-bleaching more regularly for the best result.
The gels that you buy at the chemist will most likely be less concentrated than what is in a take-home kit from your dentist.
Are Supermarket Whitening Products Safe?
One thing I would warn people to be careful about is the so-called whitening toothpastes from the supermarket. These often contain quite abrasive particles which can actually scratch the teeth quite a lot. You’ll have the sensation of whitening but unfortunately it can lead to more staining afterwards.