Teeth Whitening: In-Office vs At-Home

three young women hug and smile showing off their white teeth

Teeth whitening is one of the most common cosmetic dental procedures. A brighter smile is easily obtained with teeth whitening. But is professional teeth whitening at a dental office better than teeth whitening you can do at home? We weighed the pros and cons of each.


In-Office

Professional teeth whitening is the premium option, and some worry that it will break the bank. Let’s talk about the pros and cons.


Pros

Custom Trays


There are several different professional teeth whitening options, but we provide custom dental trays. Custom dental trays fit your teeth perfectly, which ensures that the teeth whitening gel covers your enamel.


Personalized Dental Advice

A dentist can determine if your mouth is healthy enough to sustain teeth whitening treatment. Problems like tooth decay or gum disease need to be treated before brightening your smile. The concentrated bleach gel may cause pain otherwise.

A dentist can also determine if your teeth are too dark for teeth whitening treatments to work. You may need veneers to make your smile shine bright again.


Results Last Longer

With proper dental care, your teeth will stay white for several months. Compare that to an at-home treatment, where results may only last for a few months before you need to do teeth whitening again.


Cons

Custom dental trays and high-quality bleaching gel does cost more than at-home teeth whitening options. However, the results can last longer and can make your teeth several shades brighter than at-home treatment.


At-Home

At-home teeth whitening treatment seems like the most convenient option. It can come in toothpaste, strips, or mouthwash. Let’s go over the pros and cons.


Pros

Convenient

It’s easy to buy at-home teeth whitening products and use them. No appointment is necessary, and the products are often cheaper than professional teeth whitening.


Cons

Not as Effective

At-home teeth whitening products have a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide. This means it’s not as effective as professional teeth whitening in lifting several shades from your smile. The results from at-home teeth whitening also don’t last as long.


Could Make Dental Problems Worst

Since at-home dental bleaching is self-administered, you may not realize that your oral health can’t deal with hydrogen peroxide effects. Like we mentioned earlier, tooth decay and gum disease can cause you pain during teeth whitening.


Need Teeth Whitening?

If you want professional teeth whitening, our dental team can make your smile brighter by lifting several shades from your teeth. Please schedule an appointment with us. We’re a one-stop-shop for a radiant smile!


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