An over-the-counter teeth bleach product is one of the possibilities for whitening one’s teeth without paying an arm and a leg, thereby saving on dental bills. But while going this route is a perfectly valid option, the user must remember that products designed for home use have some significant differences from those used by professionals. So the person may have to decide whether saving some teeth whitening costs is entirely worth potentially losing a bit of quality in the final result.
In a professional dental setting, the dentist will usually use custom fitted trays that contain some kind of whitening gel, which will be set around the teeth for several minutes, possibly more than once. There will be a relatively high concentration of hydrogen peroxide, the bleaching agent that works to remove stains from the teeth. To protect the gums around the teeth from possible chemical burns from this oxidizing agent, the dentist will also paint them with a protective substance. With this protection, the whitener can be used in a higher concentration.
Teeth whitening kits made to use at home have a lower concentration of the peroxide bleach, which is one reason why the actual bleaching process takes longer than in a dentist’s office. And the tray itself, which contains the teeth bleach, does not come custom fitted as it would be in the office. That means that it won’t fit as precisely over the teeth, which might result in some spots on the teeth being missed, and even some possible spillage.
Another form of a less expensive teeth bleach, the whitening strips, sometimes presents difficulties with covering the entire surface of the teeth, so there may be unbleached spots with this method as well. People also need to keep in mind that all these products make teeth white if they have started out with a yellowish tinge, but don’t really work for teeth that began with a more gray tone. Anyone who wants to save money using home-applied products should keep some of these factors in mind, so they can decide if going the at-home route will really serve them best.
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