Teeth whitening is a highly effective and safe esthetic treatment to eliminate stains and discoloration, allowing you to enjoy a whiter, brighter smile. Teeth whitening typically comes in 2 forms, at home and dentist-supervised in the office.
Below, cosmetic dentist Marielaina Perrone DDS will compare in-office whitening to at-home whitening. The pros and cons of each will also be discussed.
Understanding Professional Teeth Whitening
Professional teeth whitening is completed in a dental office under dentist supervision. Marielaina Perrone DDS will apply a special bleaching gel to your teeth, and then the gel will be activated using a special lighting system. This process may be repeated several times to achieve the desired esthetic results. Your smile looks brighter, and stains are remarkably less noticeable immediately following a teeth whitening treatment.
Understanding At-Home Teeth Whitening
Some patients choose to complete teeth whitening at home instead of in the office. At-home teeth whitening typically involves wearing either bleaching trays that fit over the teeth or the use of drug store gel strips. The trays or strips must be worn for approximately 6-8 hours daily for about 10 to 14 days.
A major drawback of at-home teeth whitening is that the bleaching agent is less concentrated. This will cause the whitening to take longer to see the desired esthetic results, and the final cosmetic result may not be as dramatic as in-office teeth whitening.
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