Having a whiter and prettier smile is one of the best ways to improve your appearance and morale.
While tooth whitening treatments are available at your friendly neighbourhood dental office, many people like the speed and convenience of DIY whitening kits. But we have to ask: can DIY tooth whitening equal the results of having it done by a dental professional?
The DIY Approach at Home
For the most part, DIY teeth whitening kits fall into either one of two categories:
Tray-using Kits
These kits utilise mouldable trays prefilled with carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide in gel form. The use of hydrogen peroxide means that your teeth are bleached almost on contact. These one-size-fits-all kits are portable and can be used if you need to whiten your teeth fast.
LED-driven Kits
These kits also use peroxide gels to facilitate whitening, but with a LED lighting device to help activate the reagent. It works by dehydrating the surface of the teeth, so these may not be so effective for long-term whitening.
How the Professionals Do It
Meanwhile, in-chair tooth whitening involves a few steps below:
- An anaesthetic may be applied to both upper and lower rows of teeth to minimise pain;
- Protective resin is smeared in to protect soft tissues such as those in your palate and gums;
- The dentist then applies the whitening gels to the teeth – and note that these are of a more potent formulation than the kind used in DIY kits; and
- In some cases, an Intense LED light is used to activate the gels thrice during the procedure, and each exposure will run between ten and fifteen minutes.
So What’s the Difference Between In-Chair and At-Home Whitening Products?
The simple answer: it all lies in the strength of the formulation.
Tooth whitening products for home use only have around ten percent peroxide concentration, and this is to prevent accidental poisoning on the part of the home user.
On the other hand, professional-grade whitening gels have up to 40 percent peroxide concentration. Dentists are all trained to apply these products to patients’ teeth to ensure optimal safety and efficacy.
Also, the effects of professional tooth whitening last longer, while DIY kits can keep your teeth white for a few days. Having your teeth whitened by a professional is also more cost-effective in the long run. DIY kits may seem cheap at first, but the frequent purchase of these will accrue a considerable cost over time.
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