Anybody done it? Any Dentists out there want to weigh in on pros and cons of the different methods?
Professional Teeth Bleaching
- Thread starter airplanedoc
- Start date
Not worth it. Lasted only about two months and results were not dramatic. Cost me $400 and made my gums ultra sensitive for several days. I would stick to the strips you can buy in the drug store.
First brush with a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide; a follow-up brushing with just the peroxide. (Be careful not to ingest). Then your regular toothpaste.
Sue
Sue
- Thread starter
- #5
That is what I do now. Half the week I use regular toothpaste, and the other half I use baking soda and peroxide. I generally alternate days.
Much like shaving, whitening has many variables. The age of your stains, your diet, your age and health, etc.
Are you a dark drink consumer? Coffees, Teas, Colas?
A smoker?
Obviously these things would shorten the lifespan of how long the whitening lasts.
Getting it done at the dentist is drastically overpriced. The dentist is good for one thing...making good/ high quality trays. They make trays that conform to every tooth and are thin and comfortable to wear. If whitening at home, which does take longer, I would suggest getting these made then getting your gel from wherever.
There are many whitening places that are setting up in malls, etc. that are very good using the same things your dentist would at a fraction of the cost.
Are you a dark drink consumer? Coffees, Teas, Colas?
A smoker?
Obviously these things would shorten the lifespan of how long the whitening lasts.
Getting it done at the dentist is drastically overpriced. The dentist is good for one thing...making good/ high quality trays. They make trays that conform to every tooth and are thin and comfortable to wear. If whitening at home, which does take longer, I would suggest getting these made then getting your gel from wherever.
There are many whitening places that are setting up in malls, etc. that are very good using the same things your dentist would at a fraction of the cost.
Actually, some of the in-office whitening treatments work really well and do work. The take-home trays can work equally well if you are dedicated and stick with the treatment, but I found many of my patients didn't have the dedication to stick with it the full two weeks of daily wear. The take-home trays also caused more sensitivity.
The in-office treatments are not all the same. The system which seems to be working the best at the moment is the Sapphire system, and the new formulation seems to cause almost no sensitivity (plus you get take-home trays for maintenance.) The Zoom system works, but I was very nervous about the intense UV light that it used. (The waiver patients were supposed to sign was quite frightening.)
It is a little costly, but it does work quite well.
The in-office treatments are not all the same. The system which seems to be working the best at the moment is the Sapphire system, and the new formulation seems to cause almost no sensitivity (plus you get take-home trays for maintenance.) The Zoom system works, but I was very nervous about the intense UV light that it used. (The waiver patients were supposed to sign was quite frightening.)
It is a little costly, but it does work quite well.
I've had the Zoom done. I liked the results, but it was expensive. I'm going to try the at home trays with the bleaching gel.
I have had what I consider excellent results from grocery store strips. I am a several cups daily tea drinker and I need to keep after my teeth for that reason.
My wife of 33+ years is a dentist (Endodontist - root canal spe......t) and does not do any bleaching in the office. She has had it done with her dentist just prior to our son's wedding.
It's my understanding that the stuff you can get over the counter does not have the same effectiveness as the bleaching that can be done in a dental office. The dentist will have greater control over the application than you would at home, just think of over the counter pain medication and prescription medication.
There are some place you can go and get bleaching done that are not run by dentists. For example I have seen a spa in an airport offer bleaching, and to me that is problematic. Or you may find some mall that offers bleaching without a dentist present. This is a bad idea in my opinion. Here is the reason(s). When you have a dentist look in your mouth they are supposed to do a oral screening - they will look for things like oral cancer and they have been trained to spot and take appropriate actions. In a strip mall run buy someone not a dentist they have not had the training to do this......people tend not to get regular check ups from their dentist or regular cleaning. This can be a bad idea because signs of oral cancer may be missed and if it's missed then - that's a bad thing.
Ask your family dentist if bleaching will work for you, and take their recommendation, that's what they have received their professional training in. My wife does not do bleaching so I don't have a dog in the fight, but if I were to want my teeth bleached I would go to my family dentist.
It's my understanding that the stuff you can get over the counter does not have the same effectiveness as the bleaching that can be done in a dental office. The dentist will have greater control over the application than you would at home, just think of over the counter pain medication and prescription medication.
There are some place you can go and get bleaching done that are not run by dentists. For example I have seen a spa in an airport offer bleaching, and to me that is problematic. Or you may find some mall that offers bleaching without a dentist present. This is a bad idea in my opinion. Here is the reason(s). When you have a dentist look in your mouth they are supposed to do a oral screening - they will look for things like oral cancer and they have been trained to spot and take appropriate actions. In a strip mall run buy someone not a dentist they have not had the training to do this......people tend not to get regular check ups from their dentist or regular cleaning. This can be a bad idea because signs of oral cancer may be missed and if it's missed then - that's a bad thing.
Ask your family dentist if bleaching will work for you, and take their recommendation, that's what they have received their professional training in. My wife does not do bleaching so I don't have a dog in the fight, but if I were to want my teeth bleached I would go to my family dentist.
