Professional Whitening
Home Tooth Bleaching - is it Safe?
It must be said that teeth whitening methods in general will not be equally effective for everybody. It is always worth getting professional advice before starting any course of treatment. Your dentist will be able to clarify which of the many options you are able to choose from. Some of them might not work on your teeth.
The question that people face is, does the perceived added safety of a professional procedure by a dentist, justify the extra cost involved. Will the home teeth whitening product be safe and will it be as effective to use? Is it easy to follow the instructions and if you do, are there any possible side effects? What are the arguments?
To provide a safe over the counter product, the teeth gel is of a lower concentration than you would get from a dentist. So how good are the results, how quick and how long lasting? But there are still people who questions this.
Do unscrupulous manufacturers add more of the bleaching agent than they admit to, so that their product will work? It is even suggested that abrasive materials are added that can potentially damage the surface of the teeth. I think that neither of these theories hold water. As long as you stick to reputable products you should be fine. The penalties for such practices, from major fines and lawsuits, to withdrawal of the product license, would be too costly to contemplate.
Reputable companies do major trials before putting their products onto the market. With a quick search on their websites, you can read the results of these trials, and you can even follow the links back to the original research documents. It would similarly hit their bottom line and their reputation, to put forward claims that they cannot substantiate.
Most of these methods involve wearing a tray over your teeth containing the gel, for periods of thirty to sixty minutes. While this may not be too uncomfortable, it is an inconvenience and you are not likely to exceed the recommended time to any great extent. Some of these products work overnight and the companies boast of how long their gel stays active, compared to their competitors.
If you wear the device for longer than recommended, the gel will probably have become inactive. I think it can safely be said that these products are regarded as safe. The other question is, can you get the same benefits that you would from a couple of visits to the dentist.
Here again, it is very unlikely that companies would make claims that they cannot substantiate. After all, if these products didn't produce results, millions of users who would be shouting it from the rooftops. So how good are the results, how quick and how long do they last?After two apointments at your dentist, you can go home with a new, radiant smile. And with the right aftercare, it can last for as long as 15 years, but it could be closer to 5.
Some of the home teeth gel treatments claim a noticeable difference after only one hour and that with repeated treatments that you can reach the same levels on the dental comparison charts that you would get from professional whitening. And they could be just as lasting. So, are they a reasonable alternative?
As I said at the beginning, it is always worth getting professional advice, but a home treatment is definitely worth thinking about. And of course, as well as over the counter products, your dentist can supply you with a personalised solution.
Professional Teeth Whitening
