Many would like a brighter, whiter smile, but don’t know which treatment works best. Patients struggle with choosing the right tooth paste, understanding the differences between in-office and take-home options, and finding the right treatment plan to provide a solution for their problem.
Here’s what you need to know about your options for improving your smile using the most typical routes.
How Can I Brighten My Smile?
There are generally three ways dentists suggest to brighten teeth: whitening toothpaste,
in-office bleaching, and take-home treatments.
Teeth-Whitening Toothpaste
Several toothpastes on the market boast teeth whitening properties that are able to brighten smiles by a few shades. While toothpaste contains abrasives that removes surface stains that are caused from a diet filled with stain-causing foods and poor dental habits, teeth whitening toothpaste is unable to change the natural color of the tooth or lift deep stains that rest below the surface.
Teeth-whitening toothpaste is best used to maintain a bright smile, but has a harder time fighting stubborn stains that have made it through the enamel. Teeth-whitening toothpaste may be able to brighten a smile by a few shades after about a month of dedicated use.
In-Office Whitening
This procedure involves high-grade dental material that is able to lift deep stains and brighten smiles by several shades. Patients benefit from having a professional dentist monitor the procedure, as well the flexibility of choosing the degree of whitening power used on their teeth. Furthermore, in-office whitening provides an immediate result.
Many patients choose in-office procedures for their fast turnaround times, which can often be less than an hour. Patients also appreciate the immediate effect of the whitening product.
Take-Home Options
There are several types of take home options that patients have access to. Patients can buy a whitening kit from a department store over-the-counter or receive a professional set prescribed to them by their dentist.
Over-the-counter options usually use lighter grades of whitening power as a precautionary measure, considering over-the-counter options are generally made to satisfy a larger population. Moreover, over-the-counter options usually use a one-size-fits-all tray that can be loose-fitting and fail to reach all edges of each tooth. On the other hand, take-home options prescribed by a dentist are usually customized to treat specific cases and often use greater strength materials to improve whitening power.
Take-home options are also specifically designed to match the unique dynamics of the individual’s smile for a snug fit.
Learn More
Find out more by calling or visiting Riverside Dental Centre in Red Deer, Alberta. Schedule a consultation with one of our doctors and discover which teeth whitening option is best for you.