If your goal is to get whiter and brighter teeth, you are probably wondering which whitening option is best for you. Here, our Calgary dentists shed some light on various teeth whitening options and the results they could have.
What is teeth whitening?
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure designed to lighten the colour of your teeth using peroxide-based bleaching agents. As the active ingredient breaks down, oxygen acts on the tooth enamel, creating the whitening effect.
Options for Whitening Your Teeth
There are a handful of teeth whitening options available today that could help make your smile brighter and of course whiter. This could make it hard to pick the best option for you, especially since each has its own set of advantages and can provide you with results. But, just as with every procedure, each of them also has its own disadvantages.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
The most effective teeth whitening procedures are performed by your dentist in a dental office. This is because the whitening agents in your dentist’s gel are much stronger and produce much more effective results than over-the-counter products.
The procedure usually takes about an hour. Your dentist will use a concentrated whitening solution to remove surface stains from your teeth and lighten their natural colour. This yields somewhat more efficient results than at-home whitening solutions, which take days or weeks to work.
At-Home Professional Teeth Whitening Trays
This take-home option would be supervised by your dentist. During an initial visit to your dentist, a dental impression will be created to make your whitening trays.
You’ll take the whitening trays home and manage the teeth whitening application yourself. You’ll wear the whitening gel for between 30 minutes to a few hours a day, for 1 to 3 weeks depending on what your dentist prescribes.
The whitening solution will gradually remove surface stains from your teeth and lighten their natural colour.
Whitening Toothpaste
The job of whitening toothpaste is to get rid of surface stains and make your teeth slightly whiter. You need to remember that whitening toothpaste won't affect your teeth's natural colour, and can't lighten the stains that have penetrated beneath the surfaces of your teeth.
Enamel strengthening toothpaste has the ability to protect your teeth from cavities and additional damage, which could prevent stains from occurring in the first place.
Whitening Strips
These small plastic strips are coated with peroxide-based gel. When you apply the strip to your teeth, the peroxide coating removes surface stains, lightening the colour of your teeth.
You would typically apply whitening strips daily for a 2- to 3-week period, and keep them on for no more than 30 minutes at a time. Because these products contain only a small amount of peroxide, you will usually see only subtle results.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are razor-thin strips of porcelain that are affixed to the fronts of your teeth to improve their colour, shape and symmetry.
If only one or a few of your teeth are discoloured, porcelain veneers may be a practical solution to even out the colour of your teeth.
Which Whitening Products are Best for You?
There are various factors that will determine the right teeth whitening options for you including the time you have available, your budget, and personal preference. You might also want to research teeth whitening reviews online to get some ideas and tips from others who have decided to go with the professional and/or at-home route.