How Teeth Whitening Works
Some people prefer to purchase over-the-counter products and whiten their teeth at home. This may be due to inadequate finances or good dental insurance. However, this practice is highly discouraged because teeth cleaning is a delicate procedure that should be done by a professional. Professional teeth cleaning is a short procedure that can take less than two hours if done at the dentist’s clinic.
Part of the procedure involves applying a tooth whitening gel that contains around 20-45 percent of hydrogen peroxide. A special heating lamp is aimed at the teeth at 20 minutes intervals, and the gel is reapplied between those intervals. Your dentist may also use a laser to speed up the whitening process.
To keep the gel from getting to your lips, tongue, and gums, a protective barrier may be used, so the gel stays only on your teeth. For best results, your dentist will provide you with whitening trays to help you do follow-ups at home and ensure an effective bleach solution.
On average, custom-made whitening trays can cost around $300-$400, while complete teeth cleaning treatment can cost around $500. With a good dental cover, you don’t need to risk your dental health by doing DIY teeth cleaning procedures at home.
Whitening Toothpaste Versus Bleaching
There’s a misconception that tooth whitening toothpaste is the same as bleaching. However, as we have already noted, bleaching products contain peroxide and other ingredients, and the procedure for using these products is also different.
On the other hand, tooth whitening toothpaste contains aluminum oxide, baking soda, calcium carbonate, and silica. All these are effective stain removing abrasives that are milder than peroxide, which is not contained in whitening toothpaste.
However, the active ingredients in tooth whitening toothpaste contain additional super effective chemicals and offer extra polishing. But whitening toothpaste can only make your teeth a few shades lighter than if you opted for professional teeth whitening in Greer, SC. Therefore, it is ideal for people with mildly discolored teeth.