Teeth whitening has become a much more common practice in recent years, with over the counter teeth whitening strips appearing as an alternative to professional teeth whitening products.
So which is better? It really depends on what you hope to achieve. If you want a significantly brighter, whiter smile in a single treatment, professional teeth whitening is the way to go.
How do teeth whitening strips work?
Teeth whitening strips are made from pieces of flexible material with a chemical coating, which has a bleaching effect when it comes into contact with the surface of your teeth. Hydrogen peroxide is one commonly used chemical in teeth whitening strips. It oxidises and bleaches any staining out of your tooth surface enamel.
However, the concentration of gel in over the counter whitening products is much lower than professional whitening products. If you use whitening gel without professional whitening trays, a lot of it can end up in the mouth rather than in contact with your teeth.
How does professional teeth whitening work?
Professional teeth whitening products have several advantages over mass-market whitening strips:
- Treatment is supervised by a professional for reliable results
- A 3D dental impression is taken to maximise contact of the chemical agent on your teeth
- Professional chemicals are specially formulated to achieve rapid results
The 3D dental impression would traditionally be taken using a tray of alginate, which patients bite down into, to leave an imprint of their teeth.
However, modern technology has enabled 3D scanning of the inside of the mouth, so dental impressions can be created without the discomfort of biting into alginate. This makes the process even more comfortable for patients, while still offering the enhanced results of getting a custom dental mould for teeth whitening procedures.
What is supervised home whitening?
Supervised home teeth whitening is a best of both worlds solution for patients who want to carry out their treatment at home, in line with their own busy schedule.
You get custom dental trays with whitening gel pre-inserted, which you can then wear overnight at home, when it’s convenient for you to do so.
The process is still highly monitored, so you not only get professional results, but control and convenience over exactly when and where you are as you apply the whitening gel.
Find out more
To find out more about the different teeth whitening procedures available from Ten Dental, or to book an initial consultation to decide which is right for you, contact us today.
We offer professional teeth whitening at each of our locations in Wandsworth, Balham and Clapham, as well as supervised home whitening, so there’s an option to suit you no matter how busy your lifestyle may be.