pros & cons of professional versus OTC whitening

WANT WHITER TEETH?

So you want a brighter smile? Warm weather is here, you have a wedding or two to attend this summer, or a vacation on the horizon. You're kicking around the idea of using over-the-counter (OTC) whitening products or taking the plunge and going to the dentist to get yourself professional whitening products to get that perfect smile you've always wanted. You may even be considering a special toothpaste or some other trick you've heard from a friend or online, but which method is right for you?

To whiten your teeth, you should only use products specifically designed to whiten teeth that have been determined to be safe by the FDA. Do not use products such as cleaning detergents or acidic items that are not intended to be placed in mouth, in hopes of whitening your teeth. Even if these products do initially whiten teeth, they cause serious damage to your body. In addition to being harmful to your entire body, these products can destroy tooth enamel, cause permanent pain in your mouth that could require additional dental procedures that would otherwise be unnecessary.

As for whitening products, you can find toothpastes, OTC whitening strips or professional bleaching at a dental office (whether it may be in-office or trays you take home). Toothpastes are generally designed to removed only extrinsic stain, or stain that is on the surface of the teeth. This can be useful in removing day to day stain collected on the surface of your teeth as you eat and drink items that cause discoloration. However, in order for these products to be effective, many are abrasive and can feel gritty. This can worsen symptoms in those already suffering from sensitive teeth.

So what's the difference between whitening strips and professional bleaching? Bleaching products have the ability to penetrate the enamel and change the shade of the tooth deeper than toothpaste will. When using a bleaching product, there are two factors to consider that will get your teeth whiter: time and concentration of the bleaching product being used. These products, whether OTC or professional, will contain some percentage of carbamide or hydrogen peroxide, in general. Professional products are available in higher concentrations to those that you can buy over the counter and have the ability to whiten teeth better than OTC products. OTC strips generally do not cover as many teeth in the mouth (in most cases, just the front six teeth), and are flimsy, disposable and unable to be worn more than one time. Whereas professional whitening typically involves obtaining dental impressions and fabrication of custom trays, which can be used multiple times (even over years) simply by purchasing additional whitening gel to use inside the trays. This gel is relatively inexpensive. For these reasons, if you're considering whitening multiple times over a span of time, professional products may be more cost effective for you.

Are you considering professional whitening, but you haven't seen a dentist in awhile? Contact Des Moines Dental Care, PC at (515)288-3543 today to schedule an exam to determine if professional whitening is an option for you. Mention this article, and after completing a comprehensive exam and cleaning, you can receive 50% off professional whitening, if professional whitening is determined an appropriate treatment by the examining doctor.