If you are unhappy with the color of your teeth, consider your teeth whitening options. Here, we discuss a few reasons why you might choose professional teeth whitening (either a one-visit teeth whitening session at a dental office or take-home whitening trays custom-made at a dental office) or an over-the-counter whitening product for use at home.
- Time
- Effectiveness
- Cost
If you want results that are quick and dramatic, professional whitening is for you! In-office teeth whitening is the quickest way to get a bright, white smile. Custom take-home trays deliver faster results than over-the-counter whitening options (whitening gel strips, whitening pens, whitening toothpastes, etc.) but will not provide results quite as fast when compared to our in-office whitening.
With in-office teeth whitening, we’ll apply a whitening gel directly to your teeth during an appointment that lasts about an hour. This gel is safe, but it’s best not to get any on your gums and irritate them, so we take preventive measures to make sure your gums and oral cavities are protected from the whitening agent.
With custom take-home trays, we’ll make trays specifically for your teeth and whitening needs. However, after the initial appointment where we discuss how to use the trays and gels at home, you’ll need to apply everything yourself. The gel will be milder than what we use at the office so you won’t need to be concerned about gum irritation.
With over-the-counter whitening options, you’ll need to read and follow the directions carefully to make sure you’re applying them correctly and for the correct duration. But due to the nature of the ingredients, the results are less dramatic than professional teeth whitening.
Professional teeth whitening is the more expensive option, but is more effective at delivering the results you want in a short amount of time. Although over-the-counter whitening options are cheaper and can be conveniently picked up at the grocery or drugstore, you may go through multiple products and still not get the smile you want.
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In summary, one-visit professional whitening will provide the best results; custom take-home tray whitening takes a bit longer but gives results similar to in-office whitening; and over-the-counter options will take the longest and aren’t as effective. At Helotes Family Dentistry, we are dedicated to helping you achieve the smile of your dreams by offering both one-visit teeth whitening and custom take-home tray teeth whitening. Contact us to discuss your whitening options so you can choose what works best for you, your lifestyle, and your budget!
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