As brighter and whiter teeth become one of the most commonly requested forms of cosmetic dentistry today, many consumers are asking, “What is a bleach kit for teeth whitening?” The push to have a more picture-perfect smile is strong among individuals of almost every age, but with more options than ever on how to achieve it, choosing the right method of teeth whitening can be confusing to say the very least.
There are two primary categories when it comes to at-home teeth whitening kits:
- Over the Counter Brand Kits
- Professional At-Home Kits from the Dentist
Over the counter kits can be found at most local grocery or drug stores and claim to be able to whiten a person’s teeth over time with repeated use. The success of this method can depend heavily on:
- How clean a person’s teeth are before they begin whitening
- Whitening medium (topical solution, strips, trays, etc.)
- The strength of the whitening solution being used
- Proper usage of the kit, including application
- Duration and frequency of use
A professional at-home kit from the dentist, otherwise known as a dentist-approved bleach kit for teeth whitening, is quickly becoming the more preferred option for some for the simple fact that it can still be customized to yield maximum benefits for the user.
What Is a Bleach Kit for Teeth Whitening and How Does It Work?
A bleach kit for teeth whitening may be obtained from your regular dentist. Users should take note that the professional version from the dentist comes with a few critical distinctions from those that are over the counter, including:
- They typically have an increased concentration of whitening solutions.
- They are available in trays that can be custom fit for an individual’s teeth, which helps the solution adhere to the teeth more effectively and limits exposure to the gums.
- They frequently yield noticeable and preferred results within a shorter time span than over the counter options.
So how do they work? It all begins with customization because no two mouths are exactly the same. Ensuring that a whitening tray closely fits the mold of a patient’s teeth can be one of the primary keys to success. It allows the solution to be exposed to each tooth’s surface in a targeted way without needlessly irritating the gums with a bad fit.
To create a tray that matches a patient’s teeth, a dentist may either do an impression of the teeth via dental putty or by digitally scanning them. Either way is acceptable. From this information, experts in the dental office or at a specialty lab will begin creating a customized tray.
Once the trays are ready, the dentist will likely clean the surface of the teeth to enable the whitening solution to be more effective when applied. Then the dentist will make a note of the current shade of the patient’s teeth so that they can better monitor their progress after a couple of weeks of whitening is completed.
Next, the dentist will show the patient how to put the trays in for the best fit as well as how to put the whitening solution in the tray. For the bleach kit for teeth whitening to be effective, it is critical that the patient pay close attention to these steps, especially when it comes to how much whitening solution should be dispensed in the tray before each application.
Most dentists recommend a specific amount of time for application, depending on how much lighter a patient desires their teeth to be.
While the bleach kit for teeth whitening from the dentist should yield visible results for the majority of patients, it does require additional care on the part of the patient for optimum results. For example, activities that can contribute to the staining or discoloration of teeth such as eating or drinking certain foods or smoking should be avoided. Failure to abstain from drinks, foods, or tobacco which can stain the teeth may keep the treatment from yielding the preferred results.
At the end of the recommended timeline for whitening, the dentist may ask the patient to return to the office to evaluate progress that has been made. At that point, they will gauge the current shade of the person’s teeth and compare it to the shade of their teeth before treatment began.
The results of bleach kits for teeth whitening can vary from patient to patient. The outcome can depend on the person’s ability to follow the directions for preparation and usage correctly. Should their teeth appear to be discolored from something other than staining that is related to eating and drinking, teeth whitening may be more difficult to achieve.
Benefits of Getting a Bleach Kit for Teeth Whitening from Your Houston Dentist
Although the whitening of a person’s teeth is an obvious benefit of getting a bleach kit for teeth whitening from your dentist, there are additional benefits for choosing this method over another, such as:
- In customized kits from the dentist, the concentration of the whitening solution is typically stronger than over the counter options. This can yield potentially more effective and noticeable results in less time that can leave patients having more confidence in flashing their pearly whites for their next Instagram selfie.
- A kit from the dentist ensures you are getting your money’s worth. While over the counter options may provide some degree of whitening, it is typically not as strong or long lasting and still comes at a somewhat pricey cost. For the additional money that the dentist’s kit would cost, patients can enjoy a customized fit designed to yield maximum benefit with minimal irritation to the gums. Using a bleach kit for teeth whitening from the dentist also generally takes less time to achieve desired results, and those results will generally last longer as well.
- Dentists can also do professional teeth whitening in office, but the bleach kits allow patients to do whitening daily in the comfort and privacy of their own home. This keeps the person from having to dedicate an hour or so at the dentist to receive an in-office treatment every time a session is required. Being at home enables patients to do customized teeth whitening while completing other tasks around the house.
- A professional teeth cleaning before a whitening treatment can make all the difference. Although daily brushing and flossing of your teeth is essential hygiene for maintaining good oral health, it is not usually as successful at removing plaque as a cleaning at the dentist. By getting a professional teeth cleaning, it allows a whitening treatment to be more effective since it is whitening the actual teeth instead of also the plaque on top of the teeth.
A bleach kit is for teeth whitening from the dentist can give a person an additional and professional option for brighter teeth and a more confident smile. If you are interested in learning more about bleach kits for teeth whitening, reach out to your Houston dentist today for a consultation.