Are you not happy with the color of your teeth and want to do something about it? Thankfully, there are multiple options for teeth whitening available to you. Here is an overview of the three methods of teeth whitening so that you can pick the best one.
Over-The-Counter Whitening
There are several options that are available over-the-counter for teeth whitening, meaning you do not need a prescription or professional help to get them. These are often in the form of whitening strips, which have a peroxide gel on a strip that attaches to your teeth. While these OTC methods are cheap and easy to do, they can have a few problems that make them not as effective as other options.
Any OTC product is going to use a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide that is safe to use at home, which means you have to use them over a longer duration of time. In addition, whitening strips typically do not go back to your rear molars and have trouble getting into the contours of your teeth.
Laser Whitening
A professional whitening treatment that you can use is laser teeth whitening. The process works by putting a protective barrier on your gums so that they are protected. A whitening gel is then put on your teeth, which is heated up using a laser. The heat then activates the gel, which will break down the things on the surface of your teeth that cause them to become discolored.
The advantage of laser whitening is that it works very quickly, and provides results that you notice the very same day. Using such a fast method of whitening requires a higher concentration of the whitening gel, which can result in your teeth being more sensitive.
Gel Tray Whitening
Your dentist can create a custom tray that is used to apply a peroxide-based whitening gel to your teeth, which you'll use at home. This professional gel tray treatment is different from OTC treatments because of the higher concentration of peroxide that is used. You can only get it from a dentist rather than the local drugstore.
The custom trays not only make the process more comfortable but allow the gel to better come in contact with your teeth. Of course, the results using gel trays are not instant, since you'll need to perform the process at home over several weeks until you get noticeable results.
Share