What Active Ingredients Are Used in Professional Teeth Whitening?

Are you thinking about doing a teeth whitening session at the dentist’s office? Perhaps you are considering using the take-home trays and doing the professional whitening yourself. Both of these methods can be effective in removing ugly stains. You can restore your beautiful smile once again. Before you start, it is helpful to understand what these whitening agents contain and how they work.

Appealing aspects of professional teeth whitening

There was a time in everyone’s life when their teeth were white. For some people, however, those days were long ago. The nice thing is, there are ways to remove yellow and brown stains and revive smiles. People love to whiten teeth because it can give a person more self-confidence. This can improve an individual’s self-image and help the person look forward to socializing again. For some people, getting whiter teeth makes them more diligent about oral hygiene. Proper brushing will keep teeth whiter, so patients often spend more time on these important tasks.

The process

For in-office teeth whitening, the patient will come in for one or two one-hour appointments at the dentist’s office. The dentist places an apparatus in the person’s mouth, filled with the whitening solution. Light or heat activates the chemicals, which break down the stains. Results can be immediate and long-lasting with this method.

Some people choose to take home the bleaching gel and apply it themselves. The gel goes onto custom-made mouthguards, which the patient wears overnight for the next several weeks or months. This gel contains a smaller amount of hydrogen peroxide than the gel used for in-office treatments.

Hydrogen peroxide

This is the most common ingredient found in different teeth whitening gels. Different treatments may contain up to a 35% concentration of the compound. Hydrogen peroxide is effective at getting deep into the tooth, below the enamel. It can break up the discolored molecules quickly. Store-bought products have a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide, so the user must apply it much more frequently. If too much of it sits on the tooth for too long, it can damage it.

Carbamide peroxide

Some products use this ingredient for teeth whitening. It is often present in take-home gels. It has a lower concentration than hydrogen peroxide-based products and is typically about one-third as strong. This means that patients can use it more often and for longer periods of time at each application. It works similarly to hydrogen peroxide by breaking down stains into smaller molecules.

Choose to change the appearance of your teeth

If you are feeling self-conscious about the way your teeth look, take charge of them now. There are professional treatments available for teeth whitening that you can try today. Visit your dentist and ask whether you are a good candidate for in-office bleaching. Take-home trays may also be a viable choice if you want lasting results. You should not have to live any longer with discolored teeth and unsightly stains. Turn your teeth white and feel good about your smile once more.

Request an appointment here: https://www.smilereflections.us or call Smile Reflections at (520) 355-3253 for an appointment in our Tucson office.

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