In Chair or Take Home Whitening? What’s Better For Me?

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you want a brighter whiter smile but not sure which way to go? With so many different teeth whitening products available these days, it becomes really confusing which one to use. We would like to make it simple for you:-

Over the counter whitening products –

Over the counter whitening products may not be that effective in lightening the colour of your enamel as the dentist whitening products may do. Whitening strips that are easily available at stores usually do not cover all your teeth. They may help in whitening front teeth only. Depending upon how wide your smile is, these over the counter products may not cover your entire smile and hence may not provide an even whiter smile.

Take home whitening –

Take home whitening trays are clear custom fitted trays which fit your teeth like a mouth guard. They are made from a flexible and soft material, and are easy to wear and use. Patients fill them with a teeth whitening gel solution and wear them for at least 30 minutes each day for a period of 10 – 14 days. These trays cover all teeth with the whitening gel and so provide an even result. This type of teeth whitening method is better suited to people who already have mild sensitivity in their teeth.

In Chair Whitening –

One of our most popular teeth whitening is ZOOM In Chair whitening. It is a very effective teeth whitening procedure that gives wonderful results. In this method, dentist will apply the gel directly to teeth and use a ZOOM light to activate the gel. This gives very good results with whitening. We offer a no obligation, free consultation to assess if ZOOM In Chair whitening would be the best whitening option for your teeth. We try to answer all you queries regarding the teeth whitening and find out your concerns. We then provide you with all the relevant information both verbal and in writing.

What is in the teeth whitening get?

All teeth whitening agents use a peroxide based gel. The strength of the peroxide in the gel may vary. A mild teeth whitening gel will have a low concentration of peroxide. Most of the over the counter products are mild teeth whitening agents with low concentrations of peroxide. Dentist teeth whitening products like take home teeth whitening trays or In Chair teeth whitening have higher concentrations of peroxide but within the safe value to use.

How much whiter will my teeth get?

Teeth whitening agents work on your natural enamel. So the result is dependent on the thickness of your enamel and how yellow is your dentin underneath your enamel. Teeth whitening agents will remove food, wine, tea or coffee stains but not any in built stains of enamel. If you have thin enamel, then yellow dentin tends to show through it. With ZOOM In Chair teeth whitening, we usually see teeth lightening from 4 shades up to 8 shades lighter depending upon the original shade of your teeth.

Will it weaken my teeth or what are the side effects?

Dentist teeth whitening products are safe to use. Sometimes teeth whitening products can cause teeth sensitivity. When you buy take home teeth whitening products from us we always advise you what concentration or strength of the whitening gel you should start with. This allows and helps us to control the amount of peroxide int he whitening gel according to your sensitivity levels. Since In Chair whitening gel have to work in shorter time period, they are usually stronger. This may result in sensitivity in teeth in some exceptional cases. That is why we apply a sensitivity reducing gel to soothe teeth after the whitening procedure. Any sensitivity during whitening treatment or immediately after whitening usually subsides fairly quickly. It is recommended to use a tooth paste meant for sensitive teeth for a couple of weeks after whitening. Over the counter teeth whitening products if not used properly can irritate and burn gums. these burns heal quickly but can be unpleasant. When you use dentist whitening products we teach you how to use take home products efficiently without burning gums. With In Chair ZOOM teeth whitening, burns are rare as we take all necessary precautions.

Does whitening tooth paste work?

There are different whitening tooth pastes available in the market. They usually have a higher abrasive content than regular tooth paste. Using these over a long period of time can result in making the surface of enamel rough. So be wary of using these tooth pastes. More over, the whitening tooth pastes take a very long time to whiten your teeth. You can achieve the same result, without damaging your enamel, with the help of dentist teeth whitening products.

Will my insurance cover it?

Whether or not your health insurance will cover dentist teeth whitening procedures may depend upon your level of cover. It is best for you to check what type of dental health insurance cover you have and if whitening is covered. If you are not covered, you can still get whitening done with our interest free payment plan.

If you would be interested in a brighter whiter smile, give us a call on 07 3399 6228 or book your free consultation online.