Just about everyone would prefer if their teeth were just a little bit whiter, and professional whitening treatments can help you absolutely melt away stains. In fact, you can get a smile up to eight shades whiter than the one you have now, all in as little as a single appointment!
However, you might be tempted to see if you can get professional-level results with over-the-counter tooth whitening treatments. Unfortunately, that would be a bad idea. Here are a few reasons why that’s the case.
They Can be Too Weak, or Too Strong
Your dentist is a professional, meaning that they have access to professional-grade whitening solutions to help you get your teeth into shape. These bleaching solutions will be considerably more effective than what you can get at your local pharmacy.
As a result, you run a serious risk of overusing these bleaching solutions if you spend your time trying to get results comparable to what you would from a dentist. This can result in sensitive teeth or even permanent damage to your smile.
Some shadier companies try to compensate for this by selling highly concentrated bleaching solutions over the counter, but using these on your own can put you in danger of accidentally damaging your teeth and gums with the high-powered bleach.
It Might Not Be Right For You
If you have cavities or tooth decay, no dentist would offer you whitening treatment until they had treated them. If you get bleaching solution in a cavity it could come in contact with the nerve tissue inside the tooth, which will be remarkably painful.
You should get checked out by your dentist before starting any kind of whitening treatment, and if you’re already in their office, you might as well have your dentist whiten your teeth for you.
They Don’t Whiten Evenly
Many whitening strips and trays take a one-size-fits-all approach, meaning that they don’t really account for subtle differences in people’s smiles. As a result, the bleaching solution may be layered a little unevenly over the teeth, which will lead to streaks and patchiness in your whitening.
If you want a brighter smile, and you want it safely, there really isn’t any substitute for professional whitening. Give your dentist a call, and they’ll be able to give you the smile of your dreams!
About Our Practice
At Lakeside Daytona Dentist, we are deeply dedicated to providing our patients with state-of-the-art dentistry and using a warm chairside manner to keep them completely comfortable as we do. Everyone on our team of expert dentists goes out of their way to find the latest techniques in oral medicine, and to invest in the materials and technology necessary to stay at the top of our field.
If you have any questions about over-the-counter whitening products, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (386) 274-2021.