We are interested in using dental whitening for an upcoming event with lots of photos. We have come across two options:
1) dental whitening with my dentist
2) dental whitening strips to be used at home
Wondering if anyone has experience with these, and how safe were these options? I also hear about enamel loss, and wonder if that's a concern.
the answer to your numbered questions depends on the color of your teeth now and the desired 'white' you want to achieve. At-home treatments are at significantly lower concentrations of hydrogen peroxide compared to the In-Office treatments. Thus to achieve a whitening of several shades will take a longer period of time with consecutive at-home treatments, versus a single in-office treatment. And in case you are wondering why you can't buy the same concentrations for at-home treatment, it is to protect you; before applying the whitening treatment, the dentist or the hygienist checks whether you have cavities/tooth decay. Hydrogen peroxide on a compromised tooth hurts like hell. We always tell patients that cavities must be fixed first before whitening and we will not do the whitening procedure. Occasionally a patient thinks they know better and would find a practice that will do the procedure, only to call us minutes latter looking to come in for an emergency appointment.
In summary:
- if the event is a couple of months away, then you have time to experiment with at-home strips / cremes and see whether you are getting towards the desired results;
- if you are short on time or just want to get to the desired outcome sooner, the in-office treatment is your best bet. Do make sure it is done at the practice by the dentist or the hygienist, so they will check for cavities. Some practices that advertise on Groupon often have a junior dental assistant do the whitening and only a rare DA can identify cavities.
Enamel loss is not affected by hydrogen peroxide.