[imagesource: Wikimedia Commons]

There’s no better way to let the world know that you have a spiffy clean mouth than with sparkling white pearlers.

Sure, our teeth are white in general, but over time tooth enamel can build up and leave your teeth discoloured or stained, leaving you with a less-perfect-white smile.

This off-white look is caused by a variety of reasons, some in your control and others as a result of various medical conditions.

One of the best ways to lift these stains, correct discolouration, and achieve a brighter, healthier smile is through teeth whitening.

Whether performed at home or in the chair at the dentist, teeth whitening is an easy and popular oral health consideration.

If you’ve ever considered teeth whitening, it would be wise to familiarise yourself with the facts about the process and what to expect, notes Dental Associates.

There are many options for teeth whitening, be it professionally done at the dentist or with an at-home teeth whitening kit.

Let’s delve into the professional teeth whitening options:

Professional teeth whitening options range from gentle surface whiteners to stronger ones that can remove deeper stains, so it is best to consult with your dentist to find out what would work best for you.

OptiSmile offers an in-chair option, the OptiSmile WOW! Teeth whitening, it’s a straightforward process that can be done in one of the OptiSmile offices.

At OptiSmile, your dentist or hygienist will place a protective barrier around your teeth to shield your gums from the bleaching gel. Once applied, your dentists will use a special light to activate the gel. The treatment usually takes about an hour, and you will see results immediately.

Wham-bam, thank you, ma’am, your smile is sure to become transfixing.

In-chair dental teeth whitening is a safe and effective way to achieve brighter teeth. It is also much faster, making it an excellent option for busy people who want quick results.

However, OptiSmile always recommends professionally prescribed take-home whitening in addition to in-chair whitening because the results will be better and last longer.

Now let’s consider at-home teeth whitening as an option:

For folks with sensitive teeth, whitening toothpaste to remove stains on the surface of your teeth is the gentlest form of whitening.

Whitening toothpaste won’t have any adverse side effects as it uses a polishing action as opposed to bleaching chemicals, but this also means that it won’t necessarily whiten teeth as noticeably as chemical products.

It might take repeated use of whitening toothpaste over a period of weeks or months to show visible results. In fact, many dentists believe these kinds of toothpaste don’t work at all.

Then there are at-home whitening kits that can be purchased from your dentist or over the counter.

These kits usually contain peroxide, which works below the surface to lighten tooth enamel and are meant to be used regularly over a couple of weeks.

Since products with the correct amount of peroxide are the only options that will work, kits purchased from salons, pharmacies or online are often useless at best and harmful at worst. Rather purchase these kinds of kits directly from your dentist.

WebMD also lists whitening rinses, whitening gel strips, and whitening trays filled with gel as well.

So what are the main differences between professional teeth whitening and at-home teeth whitening?

First of all, time. It takes significantly longer to whiten your teeth at the home versus at the dentist’s to achieve comparable results.

At the dentist’s office, you may spend one or two hours but leave with teeth eight shades whiter, whereas at home you will have to spend 30 minutes per day over a series of weeks for your teeth to get comparably white.

Then there’s the matter of cost. Over-the-counter teeth whitening products are the cheapest option, with at-home kits costing between R250 and R600, whereas in-office teeth whitening treatments from a dentist can cost around R4000 – R6000.

The cost of teeth whitening can vary depending on several factors, depending on the type of treatment you choose, the strength of the whitening products used and the dentist’s location.

At the end of the day, you need to choose what works best for you. In the meantime, you can book a consultation with OptiSmile before starting to ensure the best results.

[sources:webmd&dentalassociates]