Benefits of In-Office Teeth Whitening vs At-Home Whitening

Not all teeth whitening products deliver equally impressive results. Your dentist may be able to recommend the whitening toothpastes, strips, and other such products most worth your money. However, depending on how stained your teeth are, they might recommend an in-office teeth whitening treatment. Professional in-office teeth whitening offers benefits that over-the-counter at-home whitening products can’t offer.

Stronger Whitening In-Office

An in-office teeth whitening treatment usually involves these steps:

• Placing a rubber shield in a patient’s mouth or applying a protective gel to ensure the whitening agent doesn’t irritate the patient’s gums.
• Applying a whitening agent to a patient’s teeth.
• Activating the whitening agent with a specialized light that allows it to whiten a patient’s teeth more efficiently and effectively.

Dentists use peroxide-based teeth whitening agents during in-office treatments. These safe bleaching agents whiten teeth more deeply than whitening solutions that don’t contain any peroxide. Along with the specialized LED light, they brighten a smile to a degree that over-the-counter products can’t.

Convenience

Patients who prefer to whiten their teeth using at-home products instead of scheduling an in-office teeth whitening treatment may have several reasons for feeling this way. For instance, some patients feel that being able to whiten their teeth at home is more convenient than scheduling a dental appointment for teeth whitening.

Patients who opt for in-office whitening treatments can achieve brighter smiles in a single afternoon. Those who decide to whiten their teeth exclusively using at-home products might need to wait several days or even weeks to see results.

Specialized Treatment for At-Home Whitening

Many dentists who offer in-office whitening services also offer at-home products. A professional at-home teeth bleaching involves:

• Taking an impression of a patient’s teeth.
• Using the impression to create a custom tray that fits a patient’s teeth perfectly.
• Instructing a patient to apply a whitening agent to the tray and place it over their teeth for a specified amount of time every day.

Typically, a dentist will instruct a patient to wear a whitening tray for two to eight hours. They may tell a patient to repeat the process every day for up to four weeks for ideal results.

Over-the-counter whitening strips work in a similar way. The difference is that such products tend to be “one size fits all.”

The at-home whitening trays a dentist offers their patients are different. Because these trays are customized to each individual patient’s teeth, they can whiten a patient’s teeth more effectively than over-the-counter products.

Receiving treatment tailored to their specific needs is among the top benefits patients experience when they opt for professional treatment. Whether they decide to schedule an in-office treatment, or they simply decide to use the at-home products a dentist equips them with, coordinating with a dental professional allows a patient to receive the best whitening treatment for their teeth.

The Value of In-Office Teeth Whitening

Numerous studies and surveys confirm that people tend to feel more confident when they’re happy with their smiles. If your teeth are stained, whitening them could give your self-esteem a major boost. For the best results, strongly consider in-office whitening treatment.

Learn More About Teeth Whitening in Westport, CT

At Imperial Dental Associates, we’d be happy to answer your questions about our in-office and at-home teeth whitening services. Get started by contacting us online or calling us at 203-227-2520 to schedule an appointment today.