Your Oakville Invisalign® Provider
Is your goal to get a whiter, brighter smile? If so, you may be considering teeth whitening treatment. In this blog, our Oakville dentists talk about the different teeth whitening options available to help you determine which one is best for you.
What is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure designed to lighten the colour of your teeth using peroxide-based bleaching agents. As the active ingredient breaks down, oxygen acts on the tooth enamel, creating the whitening effect.
Teeth Whitening Options
Today, there is a range of teeth whitening options available to help you achieve your smile goals. But, this could make it tricky to decide which one is best for you, as each option has its own advantages and could offer positive outcomes. However, as with all procedures, each has some disadvantages.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
The most effective teeth whitening procedures are performed by your dentist in a dental office. This is because the whitening agents in your dentist’s gel are much stronger and produce much more effective results than over-the-counter products.
The procedure usually takes about an hour. Your dentist will use a concentrated whitening solution to remove surface stains from your teeth and lighten their natural colour. This yields somewhat more efficient results than at-home whitening solutions, which could take days or weeks to work.
At-Home Professional Teeth Whitening Trays
This is a take-home treatment option that your dentist supervises. At an initial dental appointment, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth in order to have customized teeth whitening trays made.
You’ll take the whitening trays home and manage the teeth whitening application yourself. You will need to wear the whitening gel for between 30 minutes to several hours every day for approximately 1 to 3 weeks depending on what your dentist prescribes.
The whitening solution will gradually remove surface stains from your teeth and lighten their natural colour.
Toothpaste
The goal of whitening toothpaste is to remove surface stains and make your teeth slightly whiter. But, you need to remember that whitening toothpaste won't impact the colour of your natural teeth, and won't be able to lighten stains that have occurred below the surface of your teeth.
Enamel strengthening toothpaste can help to defend your teeth from cavities and protect your enamel from further damage, which can prevent stains from developing in the first place.
Whitening Strips
These small plastic strips are coated with peroxide-based gel. When you apply the strip to your teeth, the peroxide coating removes surface stains, lightening the colour of your teeth.
You would typically apply whitening strips daily for a 2- to 3-week period, and keep them on for no more than 30 minutes at a time. Because these products contain only a small amount of peroxide, you will usually see only subtle results.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are razor-thin strips of porcelain that are affixed to the fronts of your teeth to improve their colour, shape and symmetry.
If only one or a few of your teeth are discoloured, porcelain veneers may be a practical solution to even out the colour of your teeth.
Determining Which Whitening Option is Right For You
The whitening products that are right for you will be determined by a variety of factors such as your budget, personal preference, and the available time you have in your schedule. You might want to consider looking up teeth whitening reviews online to get ideas and tips from other people that have decided to take the professional and/or at-home route.