Just about everyone wants an attractive smile and white, healthy-looking teeth. While you can achieve whiter teeth at home using kits you can pick up while grocery shopping, there are many benefits to having your teeth whitened by a professional.
Professional Supervision
The large number of over-the-counter whitening products available on drugstore shelves is a testament to the value of white, bright teeth. Though these drugstore products are readily available, and often at a lower price than professional whitening treatments, they’re not always safe for you and your smile.
Because in-office whitening treatments are performed under professional supervision, you can be confident that your teeth can tolerate the whitening formula, the duration of the procedure, and the type of treatment. Teeth whitening is not always appropriate for those with ongoing dental health concerns or dental sensitivity. In many cases, at-home whitening treatments may do more harm than good, even if they produce a noticeably whiter smile at the end of the day.
Only your dentist can approve the safest, most effective whitening procedures for you and your teeth based on your unique dental health and your smile goals. With professional whitening treatments, your individual oral health and wellness are kept in mind every step of the way.
Fast, Exceptional Results
Over-the-counter bleaching products boast that they can dramatically whiten your teeth in just one use. While this may be true for many people, results vary from person to person. Whether your own dental discoloration is caused by your daily cups of coffee or from medication side effects will determine the efficacy of any whitening treatment, which makes the use of drugstore products something of a gamble in terms of outcome.
On the other hand, professional whitening procedures are designed with potent bleaching agents that work in tandem with professional methods to make your teeth many shades whiter and brighter in just one visit.
Unlike drugstore methods, professional whitening solutions can contain higher levels of the active ingredients found in over-the-counter products. With these solutions, your dentist can tailor your procedure to give you the best results possible in the shortest duration of time, while keeping your smile healthy and comfortable in the process.
Dentist-approved Ingredients
The active bleaching ingredient in both professional whitening gels and at-home kits is often the exact same, but many of the other ingredients are not. In fact, some ingredients in drugstore kits can cause irritation and even damage when used over a long period of time. Highly acidic or abrasive chemicals found in many over-the-counter products, such as citric acid and sodium chlorite, are known to cause damage to dental enamel.
Not all at-home kits have dentists’ seal of approval. In contrast, professional whitening solutions are formulated and administered by professionals using only the safest, most effective ingredients to help you avoid discomfort or damage to your teeth, gums, and the soft tissues of your mouth. Your dentist may offer safe, effective kits to help you achieve a whiter smile at home using the same, or similar, powerful solutions they offer with in-office treatments.
Dramatic Improvement in Appearance
Drugstore bleaching kits may produce inconsistent whitening results, or they may not work as well as promised. Professional procedures benefit from consistency in application and the experience of the dental professional administering the treatment, so you can count on a more thorough, uniform, and reliable outcome when you leave your appointment.
Professional treatments take a lot of the guesswork out of teeth whitening, so you can walk into your appointment knowing that when you walk out, your smile will look much whiter and brighter than it did before.
Get Your Teeth Whitened Professionally
If you’re ready to book a professional teeth whitening appointment, contact West Lakes Dentistry today!