It’s a common sight in dental offices for new patients to come in with discoloured or stained teeth and almost all are seeking out an improved, and whiter smile. What comes along with this oftentimes are questions on what they may do at home, be it with a whitening toothpaste, or whitening strips purchased from a drugstore, in order to improve the look of their teeth.
While these home whitening treatments offer results, there is nothing quite like having your teeth professionally bleached in order to achieve the smile you picture yourself having! Getting your teeth professionally whitened or bleached is a foolproof method of getting results, and you’ll likely be very pleased! Although a professional whitening treatment will be more expensive upfront, than purchasing whitening strips or whitening toothpaste, the results you will get will be much more noticeable and long lasting!
If you’re still not convinced that a professional tooth bleaching treatment is a worthy investment, continue reading for 5 more reasons why you should take the plunge:
A Doctor’s Knowledge
If there is one advantage, possibly the biggest, of getting your teeth professionally bleached over using a store-bought treatment, it is that the doctor that will be executing your treatment will be very knowledgeable and will be able to answer any questions you have. Instead of simply treating the problem, the doctor will likely also perform an exam in order to try to figure out what the root cause of your stains is to begin with.
Most of the stains that people come into a dental office with are extrinsic stains, which occur on the outside surfaces of your teeth and are caused by the foods and drinks we consume, and also some environmental and lifestyle factors may play their part as well. Every once in a while, though, stains that occur on the inside of the teeth, called intrinsic stains, may be noticed. These stains are often very difficult to get rid of, and unfortunately at times may not be removable even by professional bleaching.
From time to time, the discolouration that occurs on your teeth may be indicative of a more serious issue. If your teeth appear to be much darker than usual, it may point to an issue with your root canal or it could be the early signs of tooth decay. When you go in for a professional tooth bleaching, the doctor will be able to spot some of these issues, and will be able to fix your teeth instead of just whitening them!
Tailored To Your Individual Smile
Most of the store-bought whitening treatments, strips and trays, in particular, are sold as a one-size-fits-all treatment. The unfortunate thing about this is that everyone’s smile is a little different, be it in shape, or size, and these store-bought treatments will rarely be a perfect fit for most patients. If the strips or trays you purchase aren’t properly fitting, this will often result in an uneven whitening and your gums and teeth may become sensitive as a result!
When you get your teeth professionally bleached, the treatment is tailored to your smile in particular. Gels are often used in dental offices that for to your individual teeth, in order to provide an evening whitening without the annoying sensitivity that may occur!
More Comfortable
As was previously mentioned, it’s quite common for patients to experience sensitivity and pain in their gums and teeth when using a store-bought whitening treatment, such as whitening strips or trays. This often occurs as a result of the whitening agent coming in contact with your gums or lips due to an ill-fitting strip or tray, or in some cases the hydrogen ions that come as a part of the treatments end up eating in to the surface of your teeth!
When you get your teeth professionally bleached at a dental office, often times a covering will be placed over your gums in order to protect them from coming in contact with the whitening agents used.
Complete Whitening
We brought up the fact that the whitening treatments you can buy at the store, such as whitening strips or trays, are usually made in only one strength and size in order to be useful for the majority of people. When it comes to your teeth, and dental work in general, every patient’s smile is a little different, and treatments should be tailored to the individual. If the whitening strips or trays you buy at the store don’t fit your teeth properly, you’ll often end up with an uneven or partial whitening, which is not the desired effect! When you have your teeth bleached professionally, each tooth is given individual attention in order to insure a even whitening experience.
Professional Strength
If you have intrinsic or severe stains, the whitening agents contained in the store-bought whitening treatments will likely not be enough. Most of these store-bought whitening treatments come with around 3 percent peroxide, which simply may not be enough! The agents used at a dental office are not available for individual purchase and can only be purchased by dentists. These whitening treatments can come with peroxide strengths of up to 35 percent, ensuring you get the results you want! These professional strength whitening agents have the ability to work there way deep into the enamel of your teeth in order to get rid of staining that the stuff from the store has no chance of touching! Where store-bought treatments offer whitening of between 2 and 3 shades, the treatments you’ll receive from a professional often result in up to 10 shades of improvement in just 1 treatment!
Conclusion
Although the cost may have caused you to shy away previously, professional bleaching is the way to go if you want to see real results in the whiteness and shine of your teeth! A healthy, bright, and white smile leaves a lasting impression and is worth every penny of what it costs to get you there. For more information about professional teeth bleaching, continue to thecountrydentist.com.au/.
