I am curious about the efficacy of these teeth whitening kits you can purchase on places like Amazon. One example is Premium Home Whitening Kits. If these work, is there any real benefit to going to the dentist to have your teeth whitened? If so, what is it?
Jerome
Dear Jerome,
Professional Teeth Whitening Trays
This is a great question. I mean, if you can just order your teeth whitening, why spend the extra time and money dealing with a dentist? We’re all strapped for time and none of us want to use gasoline we don’t have to with these high prices. This seems like it can save us on both of those commodities. Let’s see if that is what happens.
First, the great news. The whitening ingredient for this product is 35% carbamide peroxide. This is a good whitening ingredient as well as a decent strength. To put it in perspective. Crest Whitestrips only has about a 6% whitening solution.
The downside to this is the whitening trays. If you get your teeth whitened with your dentist, they will make you custom-fitted trays. These do two important things that you will not get with the DIY trays you will need to use with the Premium Home Whitening Kit. First, it keeps the whitening gel on your teeth and away from your gums. Second, it keeps your saliva out of the trays. These uses are important. Here is why.
Keeping saliva away from your teeth during this process allows the gel to do its work with the efficacy you were asking about. Because the home whitening kit does not keep the saliva out, this means that it weakens the gel strength. You will not get as much whitening power out of your kit. There is a second issue that keeps you from getting the most out of your whitening. The fact that your gel can leak out. This also lessens the strength. That is more a cost issue. You’ll need more kits than you would with your dentist. The more serious danger is that the gel can get to your gums. This not only causes irritation, but there are cases when a patient ended up needing a root canal treatment as a result of home whitening kits.
Can you whiten your teeth with this kit? Yes. But, you’d be more effective and safer if you did it through your dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.