Teeth bleaching is such a trend now and why not! Who doesn’t want nice white healthy looking teeth? Also it is one of our favourite procedures since it does make a drastic change to your overall appearance. With social media literally throwing new products at you every time you scroll through it- it can get confusing to choose which one is the best method for you to get the bright teeth of your dreams. So let us give you the scoop!

Over the counter (OTC) whitening strips- you probably have seen these at the counter of your beauty store or sometimes even supermarkets. Truth? They are not FDA approved- hence they are cheap. They can work but they are definitely not effective since they contain very low strength of the bleaching agent. Also you will not be able to protect your gums and soft tissues and risk burning them.

In-office whitening procedure- The safest and most effective option there is! The strength of the bleach is high which makes it effective and additionally we isolate/ protect your gums. We also prevent saliva from touching your teeth and hence the bleaching agent does not get contaminated and it penetrates the tooth resulting in optimal bleaching action.

At home custom bleaching trays- This is honestly one of the better options, provided you get trays made by your dentist in the dental clinic. The strength of the bleach is much more stronger than OTC options and your dentist will decide which bleaching agent is good for you depending on your stains eg- hydrogen peroxide vs carbamide peroxide. The only downside? You have to be patient to see results- it may take weeks. We advice that you get an in-office bleaching and then top-up/ maintain the brightness with the bleaching trays.

Newer social media products /fads- Lets cut to the chase here - it does not work! And some products like activated charcoal and baking soda do more harm than good. They are highly abrasive and hence will remove surface stains which givs you the result you want to see. BUT they also remove healthy tooth structure and cause cracks on your teeth and sensitivity in the future. Save yourself a lot of heartache and possible dental intervention in the future- DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

To read more check out our FAQs about teeth bleaching- https://www.summitdentalclinic.org/teeth-white

Or visit Summit Dental Clinic to learn more.