A road to having a gorgeous pearly white smile can be a rocky one, especially if you haven’t decided on whether to use DIY whitening kits or leave the whole teeth whitening procedure to your dentist. Now, since I’m also considering visiting my dentist and giving my teeth a little makeover, I’m going to give you my reasons to get your teeth whitening procedure done by a pro, too.
Chemicals used in teeth whitening procedures aren’t tasty, that’s for sure. Some even cause a very unpleasant burning sensation so I’d definitely suggest letting a pro take care of your teeth. A dentist will make sure your gums are protected and that will reduce, if not totally prevent, those strange, unwanted sensations.
Teeth bleaching procedure is not as easy as it seems, in fact, if you have ever bleached your hair, you know how unpredictable this can be. Persistent stains, discolorations caused by the use of some medicines and even teeth fillings can stand in your way of having a celebrity smile. DIY teeth whitening procedures can give you a great smile, do absolutely nothing or bleach your teeth to the point where your fillings seem as subtle as a wolf, trying to hide in a herd of sheep. This last scenario will, of course, make a paying a visit to the dentist’s office a must do, so you’ll not only spend your money anyways but suffer a lot of stress and embarrassment. Why not skip all that and visit a pro who will know how to treat your teeth and give them a flawless makeover they deserve?
DIY teeth whitening procedures and methods can be a risky thing indeed. Over-the-counter solutions and homemade recipes can contain abrasive elements and harmful chemicals and, although using them just once or twice can’t cause much harm, continuous use will probably damage teeth enamel. Teeth whitening procedure your dentist uses does involve stronger chemicals but is done in controlled environment with professional tools and gives you a long lasting sparkly smile you won’t have to “retouch” in a week or so.
Dentists use stronger chemicals and better tools so, if you decide to bleach your teeth in the dentist’s office, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. DIY teeth whitening kits are pretty much standardized so the plastic applicator may and may not be a perfect fit, this last resulting in chemical leakage, unpleasant sensations and not so good whitening effect. A dentist will do everything to maximize the whitening effect and keep those chemicals away from your soft tissues and on your teeth where they are supposed to work magic and get you that perfect smile you were hoping for.
Innovative whitening procedures, stronger chemicals and the correct, professional use of them will, of course, give better, long lasting results. A dentist can even suggest toothpaste you can use to help your teeth stay white longer and give you valuable advices on which foods and drinks to avoid to keep your smile shiny and bright.
Okay, so let’s say you try one whitening solution and it doesn’t work, then you’ll try the next one and the next one and keep wasting your money on something that gives you poor or only acceptable results. Well, a bleaching procedure done by a dentist does cost significantly more but it pays out in the long run. Just think of it as an investment. You’ll invest in having that gorgeous Hollywood smile and the only thing you’ll have to do after that is brush regularly using your regular, relatively inexpensive toothpaste.
What are you going to do in case that “magical” over-the-counter whitening treatment doesn’t give you the results you wanted or makes your teeth white and your fillings stay yellowish? Complain? To whom? The sales person? The company? I doubt you’ll get much out of it as there is always a certain amount of “fine print” you didn’t read. A dentist, in the other hand, will make sure you leave his office with a million dollar smile. If he doesn’t…well… you’ll simply refuse to pay. I know I would.
So, tell me, would you prefer to get your teeth whitening procedure done by a pro or you prefer over-the-counter solutions? I’ve been asking around regarding various methods, products and teeth whitening procedures and, since I’m a bit of a scaredy cat, I’d prefer to have it done in the dentist’s office.
Top Photo Credit: Rupert Taylor-Price