I have a reunion coming up and would like to brighten my teeth a bit. They’re starting to show their age. I asked my dentist and he said I could just get some of those over-the-counter white strips. He is sort of a bread and butter practice and doesn’t offer many special services. That’s always suited me as I don’t have any complicated needs. I just want to be sure Crest is the right brand to get.
Felicia
Dear Felicia,
There are many teeth whitening options
When it comes to bleaching your teeth, many things will work, including Crest Whitestrips. There are three important differences in professional teeth whitening and over-the-counter whitening you need to be aware of though, before making a decision.
Teeth Whitening Difference One: Strength
The over-the-counter options will work, but they are by law very weak. It will take a large number of treatments to get anywhere close to the same results you could get with a dental professional. In the end, you’ll probably end up paying more for less obvious results.
Teeth Whitening Difference Two: Coverage
Most white strips you purchase at a store only cover about six teeth. Many, if not most, people’s smiles are wider than that. This will give you an uneven smile. Your first six teeth will be whiter than the adjacent teeth, which will look strange.
The solution to this is to use extra strips on the adjacent teeth. Of course, then you’re talking about having to purchase triple the number of kits. The whitening your dentist provides will whiten every tooth.
Teeth Whitening Difference Three: Protection
There are some things which can go wrong during the teeth whitening process, especially with your gums. When you’re under the care of a dentist, they keep an eye out for signs of problems and take steps to protect you.
Dental Work and Teeth Whitening
One thing to be aware of is any type of bleaching procedure, even professional, will only work on natural tooth structure. If you have a dental crown or any other type of dental work, its color will not change. If you want it to match, you’ll have to replace it after your whitening is done.
Depending on the date of your reunion, you may want super fast results. The take-home trays your dentist provides can take a few weeks to get your teeth as white as they possibly can. If you’re in a hurry, Zoom Whitening is an in-office procedure which only takes one appointment. You’ll come out of the dentist’s office with shiny white teeth.
If you decide to go the professional route, it will not require you to switch caregivers. I’d simply call another dental office which offers whitening and tell them your dentist doesn’t offer this service and you simply want to come there for the one procedure. If you’ve recently had your teeth cleaned, that shouldn’t be a problem. If you haven’t had a recent cleaning they may require it. That’s for your benefit, otherwise your results could be splotchy.
This blog is brought to you by Libertyville Dentist Dr. David Potts.