Home Tooth Whitening Kits

If you don’t have the finances for in-surgery teeth whitening then a home tooth whitening kit is a good alternative. These are cheaper than the in-house treatment but they do take longer.

These kits include personalised bleaching trays and a whitening gel. The trays are produced via a process in which your dentist makes a wax model of your teeth which is sent to a dental laboratory. The laboratory uses this to create bleaching trays which are customised to your teeth only.

These trays contain the whitening gel, which is a peroxide compound that bleaches your teeth. This gel can be pre-loaded into the trays or if you prefer, you can take home a set of syringes which contain this gel. This gel can then be added to the trays when you are ready.

How long do these trays take?

You are advised to wear the trays for a period of 14 days to allow the whitening gel to prepare the teeth for a final deep clean. This deep clean will take place at the dental clinic.

The whitening gel is only active for 4 hours so some patients choose to wear these trays overnight. However, you will still get the same results after wearing them for 60 minutes or 90 minutes so you can wear them in the day.

On the 15th day you will need to return to your dentist to have the final deep cleaning session.

Will it hurt?

You may experience some sensitivity in the form of twinges, shooting pains or even a dull ache but this perfectly normal. If you have a tendency to sensitive teeth then there is a greater chance of this happening but it is a temporary state of affairs.

Any pain or discomfort can be controlled with painkillers. It will, however, settle down after a day or two.

There have been some horror stories in the media about people who have used home whitening kits, which have resulted in damaged gums and lips. These kits have tended to contain high concentrations of peroxide which have led to soft tissue damage.

These kits have been bought online and may seem like a good deal but teeth whitening should be carried out by a trained dental professional.

Will I need to repeat this treatment?

The effects are not permanent even though they do last for a long period of time. If you want to retain your white smile then you will have to undergo maintenance treatments to preserve this smile.

These maintenance or ‘top ups’ will vary from one patient to another. This depends on the amount and rate of change.

Most patients find that they require a top up session once or twice a year.

Patients themselves can do a lot to retain their newly whitened smile. This includes brushing teeth twice a day and having regular check ups.

Will it damage my teeth?

No. The effects of this treatment are no different to the effects of any other form of dental treatment.

Are there other options?

Yes. These include whitening toothpastes, in-house tooth whitening and dental veneers.

Branded treatments include Zoom, Enlighten and BriteSmile teeth whitening systems.

Teeth Whitening Guide Index:

COSMETIC DENTISTRY

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