Are Teeth Whitening Treatments Really Better Than Store-Bought Products?

By Family Dentistry & Aesthetics Inc.

bright white teethHave you used over-the-counter teeth whitening products and been unimpressed with your results?

Do you have stubborn stains that won’t go away?

It’s a point of fact that teeth aren’t naturally white, but we love bright pearly teeth in America! None of us want “yellow” to be the defining adjective people use to describe our smile. If you regularly drink coffee, tea, or red wine, you’ve probably noticed the effect this has on your teeth, and you’ve probably purchased a whitening toothpaste or whitening system when shopping.

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If you pay any attention to what you are buying, you’ll notice that all teeth whitening products list hydrogen peroxide as the active ingredient. It’s no secret that this is the same ingredient that dentists’ whitening products use. 

If all whiteners use the same ingredients, doesn’t that mean all whiteners are the same? 

The short answer is no. Choosing between off-the-shelf and dentist-provided teeth whitening is somewhat similar to choosing between high and low quality house paint, (or make-up). Higher quality house paints are scientifically innovated to go on more smoothly and evenly, contain brighter pigments, and be more durable. You may pay less now, but you are going to have to paint again sooner than you would with better quality products, and they just don’t give you as stunning results.  

Furthermore, using cheaper whitening products can actually harm your teeth when over-used. If the results you get are only minimal, you may be tempted to keep using them continuously. With faster, more impressive results from dentists’ treatments, you won’t feel like whitening is a constant uphill struggle and you’ll be less likely to accidentally misuse the products.

How Whiteners Work

If you’ve ever used club soda to break up a fresh fabric stain, or purchased a stain remover with “oxy-” in its name, you’ve used the power of oxygen to break up pigment stains. Peroxide works by the same principle. Hydrogen peroxide gel brings oxygen deep into the matrix structure of tooth enamel to break down the pigments that have been left behind by foods, beverages, and tobacco.

How well teeth whitening products work is based on three things:

  • Potency – How strong is the concentration of hydrogen peroxide?
  • Chemical stability – Is the hydrogen peroxide kept in conditions that preserve its chemical integrity? 
  • Delivery method – How well is the peroxide gel administered to get maximum stain-fighting action?

How Our Treatments are Different from Over-the-Counter Whiteners

Simply put, the whitening treatments we use at Family Dentistry and Aesthetics work better, work faster, and typically leave your teeth brighter and whiter than any products you could buy at a drug store. The products we use are only available through dentists, not so we can make more money, but because they are strong and effective enough that the FDA wants to make sure that you have professional guidance in using them safely.

Potency – Our treatments use higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, sometimes referred to as “prescription strength.” This means they have stronger stain-fighting power and therefore work faster.

Chemical Integrity – When you buy a product that’s been sitting on a shelf, you don’t know the conditions it has been kept in. If a certain batch of whitening strips was transported in a hot truck in the middle of summer, the high temperature may have weakened the chemical structure of the peroxide, making it less effective. Different products may also have different expiration periods, as store products always try to maximize their shelf life. Our products have more precise expiration and handling guidelines, to make sure you get hydrogen peroxide delivered at the peak of its stain-fighting power.

Delivery Methods – This is the biggest difference between the two levels of peroxide-containing teeth whitening systems. Products you buy at the store are one-size-fits-all, but our teeth and mouths are not all one size.

When trays or strips do not fit over your teeth like a glove, this can lead to: (1) saliva getting mixed in with the whitening gel, (2) sliding or shifting strips/trays, and (3) painful burning sensations on the gums. If your whitening system does not maintain pure contact with your teeth, effective whitening simply won’t happen. Even though peroxide is safe when used as directed, it can irritate the gums if the gel migrates from where it is supposed to be. (If your gums are burning, you’ll probably be less likely to wear them as long as you need to, yes?) 

Our whitening delivery systems are customized to fit your teeth, and provide maximum contact with the whitening gel, so you see more impressive results. Our Zoom! in-office teeth whitening system even uses a special patented light that enhances the effectiveness of the gel so well that you’ll  see amazing results after one treatment!

If you are ready to stop using less effective teeth whitening products, call Family Dentistry and Aesthetics today at 260-432-0561. One of our skilled cosmetic dentists will explain our whitening systems and costs to you, assess your oral health, and help you decide which service is right for you. Contact our Fort Wayne, IA office today for faster, more effective teeth whitening.

Read next: Teeth Whitening Treatment: Is it Safe?

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