It’s everywhere you go now; everyone wants whiter teeth and that sparkling, clean-cut, Hollywood smile. Can you blame them? A bright smile looks great, boosts self-confidence, and according to polls, improves how you’re viewed by others. The benefits range from appearing more interesting, smarter, and friendlier, to potentially landing a job with a higher salary – all because of a whiter, more attractive smile. If you’re considering teeth whitening, you’re not alone, and you’re making a wise investment in your future.
But how can you know which type of whitening is best?
There are plenty of products available on the market today that let you whiten your teeth from home, whenever you like: toothpastes, strips, trays, lights, polishes, et cetera. If whitening your teeth is one of your personal appearance goals, you certainly can’t claim you don’t have enough tools at your disposal. The cosmetic dentists at Docklands Dental Studio want to provide you with all the information you need to make a wise decision about whitening.
Despite this plethora of products at your choosing, there may be reasons why an in-office whitening treatment might be a better choice.
So how do you decide? We’ve narrowed it down to four considerations to help you determine the right option for you.
- Cost: This one is pretty self-explanatory. If your budget restrictions preclude dentist whitening treatments as an option, then clearly you’ll want to try OTC products first. But considering how slow-acting OTC treatments tend to be, you may end up spending as much on a year’s worth of whitening strips or trays as you would spend on one highly effective dentist treatment. A good rule of thumb is to list pros and cons on paper, because actually writing and seeing the considerations can help your mind process them more clearly. Oh, and do not forget that our office accepts credit cards – so you may want to finance in-office treatment to save money in the long run.
- Speedy Results: Although OTC products and dentist-administered whitening treatments use what is essentially the same ingredients and techniques, there is one benefit to using products only offered by professionals: speed.Dentist-administered treatments contain higher concentrations of active bleaching agents and stronger technology, which can provide drastic whitening results in surprisingly little time. For example, our Zoom! Whitening service can brighten a smile up to 10 shades in just one hour. There isn’t a single DIY product on the market that can deliver those results as quickly and safely as this service!
- Tooth and Gum Sensitivity: Pain can be a problem for some people, especially those who are sensitive to hot and cold drinks, for example. For someone with sensitive enamel, the pain experienced during and after whitening can be considerable. Those people are not going to want to subject themselves to that kind of irritation as part of a daily routine over a long period of time. Not when they can get dramatic results in one office visit instead.Another thing to consider about OTC whitening products is that, in order to be sold to the masses, they must be made one-size-fits-all. Any trays or strips you buy will not be a perfect fit to every mouth, which means whitening gel may spread to the gums and potentially cause irritation. (One-size trays and strips can also be difficult to stay in place, and may slip loose frequently—which can lead to uneven, shoddy whitening results.)
- Professional Results: The nice thing about paying someone else to do your teeth whitening is that you can expect impressive results. Some of us are more devoted to beauty and hygiene regimens than others, with varying results.
If you are someone who already pays a professional to color your nails, exfoliate your skin, or press your shirts—then you probably are the type who is happier to pay for instant professional results rather slower DIY results. If you’re the type who loves a good DIY challenge and frequently gets compliments on the quality of your projects–then perhaps DIY whitening is the way to go for you.
So, do you prefer leaving the brass tacks to the professionals? Or are you more of DIY type? It’s really up to you which route you take; just remember there are risks and benefits to both approaches. At least now, you have the knowledge to make an informed decision regarding your teeth whitening mode of choice.
Call to Schedule In-Office Teeth Whitening at Docklands Dental Studio
If you’d like to try the dentist whitening route, please contact us to learn more about our Zoom! Whitening service, or to schedule treatment. Call our Docklands dental office today at (03) 9021-9487 and schedule a consultation with one of our great cosmetic dentists. We’re accepting new patients now and look forward to serving you and your smile!