With so many teeth whitening options available—both over-the-counter and professional—it can be difficult to determine which option is best for your teeth. While take-home tray whitening systems are effective, patients typically prefer in-office teeth whitening with their dentist. That’s because professional whitening involves careful preparation and the use of high-quality products that yield results almost immediately.
Teeth typically become discolored through extrinsic factors like coffee, wine, or smoking—or through intrinsic factors like medications, or excessive fluoride use. Although some people experience discoloration simply due to aging.
Before your whitening procedure begins, your dentist will complete initial prep work, including a thorough cleaning of your teeth and gums. Next, he or she will apply the whitening solution onto any exposed surfaces. Depending on the whitening system being utilized, a light source may be used to enhance the whitening gel.
The most common in-office professional teeth whitening procedures include the following:
- Philips Zoom!: Using a combination light and gel therapy, this system brightens teeth 6-10 shade in just one hour.
- BriteSmile: Similar to Zoom!, this system uses light and gel treatments to brighten teeth, but this gel contains less peroxide and is better for patients with sensitive gums.
- Opalescence: Using high-concentrated peroxide gel, this whitening technique offers brighter, whiter teeth in less than an hour.
- KöR® Whitening Deep Bleaching: This is the only whitening system available today that brightens teeth up to 16 shades in less than an hour.