If your teeth are looking yellow, then your first instinct might be to look up “teeth whitening” online. While you’ll be flooded with DIY hacks, you may also see the occasional ad for various products. As you look into them, it seems like they will give you the transformation you want without the price tag of a professional treatment, but they may fall flat. Here’s how they may not work as well as they say, and a more reliable way to get a brighter grin.
Why Don’t Over-the-Counter Products Work?
Store-bought whitening may overpromise their results for discolored teeth. Not only that, but they can cause complications if you aren’t careful. These are a few points on how they may not work as you hope:
- Slow Results: These products often have a bleaching agent in them. It’s very diluted, so you can only get rid of some stains. You may only have a shade or two difference even after weeks of consistent use. Not only that, but deeper tinting often isn’t affected.
- Risk of Damage: Building off the point above, it’s easy to overuse these items and damage your enamel. Leaving them on too long can erode the outer layer of your teeth and cause sensitivity or increase your risk of cavities. If activated charcoal or baking soda is in it, then it can be abrasive against your teeth as well.
- Not Personalized: While strips and the like might seem better, they aren’t fitted to your mouth specifically. The product can get on your gums and lead to irritation.
How Can I Get a Brighter Smile?
Although over-the-counter whitening has many downsides, you might be wondering what you should do to get a smile you love. Thankfully, your dentist is here to help with professional treatment. In fact, the negatives that store-bought options have aren’t even a worry!
You can get this service in-office, where you lie back and relax while your provider does all the work. They will apply a highly concentrated bleaching gel that’ll get rid of dark particles on and within your enamel. After just about an hour, you will get results up to an eight-shade difference.
If you want a more convenient option, you can get a take-home kit instead. These use the same whitening agent along with customized trays. They will reduce the odds of the product getting on your gums. You’ll wear them for a specified amount of time for two weeks and get a similar dramatic transformation.
In all, your dentist will be able to customize your treatment as well; that way, you avoid any sensitivity and get to the results you want without any of the guesswork store-bought products may have.
About the Author
Dr. Darrick Castleberry earned his dental degree from the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. He is dedicated to helping the Houston communities get the gorgeous smiles they dream of with reliable cosmetic dental treatments, such as professional whitening. By tailoring a plan to your goals, you can feel confident that you get the grin you dream of. If you have stains you want to get rid of, schedule an appointment or call Dr. Castleberry’s office at (281) 971-3440.