Home Whitening vs. In-Office Treatments: Which is Better? #Mukilteo WA Dentist
Overhead view of dental whitening trays and gel tubes on aged wood
One of the dilemmas most people face when they want to achieve a whiter smile is choosing between a do-it-yourself home whitening plan or a professional in-office treatment at the dentist’s. They often wonder which one is better so let’s look at the facts behind each option.
Strength:
• Home Whitening Treatments have an average of 3% peroxide levels so they require continual use over 2-4 weeks to achieve a whiter smile. Because of this, home treatments usually work best on mildly stained yellow teeth.
• Dentists have access to professional strength teeth whiteners with 15-43% peroxide levels meaning that you can have your teeth whiter in about 1 hour. In addition, dentist can use additional laser and light treatments that will zap out the worst of dark brown and grey stains.
Customization:
• Most home bleaching kits have a generic mouth piece as part of the whitening tray. Unfortunately this one size may not fit you very well since everyone has a different dental structure. This means that some of the bleaching agent could land on your gums and cause irritation.
• Your dentist can create a customized mouth piece just for you by taking an exact mold of your teeth. This provides a better fit and improves bleaching results
Protection:
• Home kits don’t usually come with protective products or tools so your gums and oral cavity is exposed to bleaching agents.
• With an in-office treatment, your dentist will apply a protective gel or install a rubber shield to protect your gums and oral cavity so that they don’t get affected by the bleaching agents
Cost:
• Home whitening kits are much more affordable, putting you back by no more than $50-60. They are definitely best for a gentle whitening plan but will not work for badly stained teeth.
• In-office treatments are more expensive with sessions costing $400-500. However they are the better option if you have very badly stained teeth that a home kit cannot get rid of.
For more information or setting up an appointment Call us at (425) 493-8111 and/or visit our website at http://www.HarbourPlaceDental.com
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