What You Need to Know About Professional vs At-Home Teeth Whitening

These days, there are a plethora of at-home teeth whitening options available, from charcoal toothpastes to custom whitening moulds provided by your dentist. With all these DIY options on the market, is there any point in visiting a dentist for professional in-chair whitening? Let’s break down everything you need to know about professional in-chair whitening vs at-home teeth whitening.

Time commitment

At-home whitening kits may seem simple, but don’t forget the amount of time commitment they take. You have to be very disciplined in using your whitening kit every day at home, for several weeks, to get optimal results. If you get slack with applying your whitening product, you’ll end up with lacklustre results.

In-chair whitening, on the other hand, usually takes one session of 60-80 minutes. With this brief time commitment, you can enjoy the same results that you would get from several weeks of using an at-home kit.

Sensitivity

In order to deliver powerful results, in-chair whitening uses a stronger gel than at-home kits. Most whitening toothpastes contain 3% hydrogen peroxide, while dentists use a solution of up to 35% hydrogen peroxide. If you’re worried about possible sensitivity, an at-home kit might be more suitable for you. However, bear in mind that a non-customised at-home kit will not be able to stop bleach from travelling across the gum line, which can cause a great deal of irritation.

If you’re looking to get the job done effectively and can withstand a little bit of discomfort, you should be okay to proceed with in-chair whitening.

Candidacy

It’s also a good idea to consider your candidacy for in-chair whitening. While at-home whitening is suitable for most people, in-chair whitening is best for those with healthy teeth and gums. Your dentist will be able to ascertain your candidacy for in-chair whitening in your initial consultation. Issues like gum disease or tooth decay will have to be addressed before you can go through with your whitening process.

Remember that for the best results, your at-home whitening kit should still be obtained from your dentist rather than from the pharmacy or an online store. Your dentist will be able to create a custom whitening mould for you to use, which will make for the most comfortable fit. Furthermore, getting your whitening kit from your dentist also ensures that the product is totally safe, which unfortunately cannot be said for some of the gimmicky products out there at the moment.

Think in-chair whitening could be the right fit for you? Call Signature Smile Studio to enquire about our current promotion, or book in a consultation if you have more extensive cosmetic issues that need to be attended to.