If you are unhappy with the look of your smile and think that brightening it would make a meaningful difference, our BC Straight Smile dentists are here to talk about your teeth whitening options.
What Is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is an example of a cosmetic dental technique with the purpose of lightening the colour of your teeth with peroxide-based bleaching agents. Once placed on your teeth, the active ingredients will begin to break down causing oxygen to act on the enamel, giving the whitening effect.
What Are The Options For A Whiter Smile?
There are many options for helping create a whiter smile. It can be difficult to choose one that is right for you; each has its advantages and can offer positive results. As with any other procedure, there are also some disadvantages to each.
In-Office Teeth Whitening
In-office teeth whitening procedures tend to be the most effective and are performed by your dentists in the 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 can take up to 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 take days or weeks to work.
At-Home Professional Teeth Whitening Trays
This take-home option would be supervised by your dentist. During an initial visit to your dentist, a dental impression will be created to make your whitening trays.
For this option, you will take the whitening trays home with you and can apply it at your convenience. The gel will sit on your teeth between 30 minutes to a few hours per day, for 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
Whitening toothpaste works by removing surface stains and slightly whitening your teeth. However, keep in mind that whitening toothpaste will not affect the natural colour of your teeth, and it will be unable to lighten stains that have penetrated below the tooth’s surface.
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.
How Do I Know What's The Best Teeth-whitening Option?
The best teeth whitening products for you will depend on a number of factors, from personal preference to the time you have available in your schedule, and your budget. You may want to consider looking up teeth whitening reviews online for tips and ideas from other people who have opted to take the professional and/or at-home route.