Teeth Whitening: Professional vs. over-the-counter solutions

Imagine your smile with stained teeth. Of course, it will not be good. Moreover, it will affect your appearance and confidence. Because of our certain food habits and poor oral hygiene, our tooth enamel gets discoloured, which makes our teeth pale yellow. But we can get our whiter and brighter smile back thanks to teeth whitening treatments.

There are basically two kinds of teeth whitening treatments available: Professional teeth whitening and over-the-counter whitening treatment. Although both treatments are considered to be the same, they are completely different from each other. 

Today, this blog will tell you the significant differences between professional teeth whitening and over-the-counter teeth whitening treatments. Also, you will get to know which treatment is the better option to choose for your teeth whitening.

The Core Differences Between Professional and Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening becomes essential when your tooth enamel gets discoloured due to stains and dirt. Although both treatments serve the same goal of whitening your teeth back to their original colour, there lie numerous differences between them. Here are the significant differences between the two teeth whitening treatments.

The Level of Effectiveness

As the name itself indicates, professional teeth whitening is carried out by expert dentists in Berwick. The dentists will initially conduct a profound examination of your teeth and decide the level of whitening your teeth need. Moreover, professional treatment uses powerful whitening agents that tend to whiten your teeth in a short time.

Over-the-counter whitening, i.e. OTC, is usually a one-size-fits-all solution that does not produce effective results for all kinds of stained teeth. They involve whitening toothpaste, gel strips, and whitening trays that do not need a dentist’s prescription. However, over-the-counter teeth whitening takes considerable time to deliver results as they are not customized solutions for specific individual needs.

Affordability

In terms of cost, professional teeth whitening seems to be a bit costlier compared to over-the-counter solutions. The OTC solutions are usually teeth whitening kits you can undergo in the comfort of your home without needing a dentist’s prescription. Moreover, these solutions are readily available at a pharmacy. 

However, this treatment falls back when measured in terms of producing lasting results. This is because these solutions are not designed by underlying the individual causes of teeth discolouration. That’s why they fail to provide long-term results. So, although professional teeth prove to be more costly than over-the-counter solutions, when you need instant and lasting whitening for your teeth, professional teeth whitening becomes the perfect solution.

Safety Assurance

In professional teeth whitening treatment, the Berwick dentist will examine your teeth and offer treatment aligning with your teeth whitening needs. So, the possibility of having any side effects from this treatment becomes zero. Conversely, over-the-counter treatment does not involve a dental examination of your teeth. You can purchase any teeth whitening solution from the chemist and apply it to your teeth. 

So, this treatment involves many risks and side effects if the solution is applied more than the required amount or incorrectly. Besides, some over-the-counter teeth whitening solutions do not have a neutral pH, which can eventually damage your teeth.

Convenience

Over-the-counter teeth whitening solutions are readily available at pharmacies. So, you can easily purchase them and apply them to your teeth at your convenience from the comfort of your space. However, professional teeth whitening treatment in Berwick involves undergoing the treatment with the dentist’s assistance. So, you cannot have professional teeth whitening at your convenience. You will need to visit the dental centre to get expert whitening treatment for your teeth.

Which Teeth Whitening Treatment Should You Choose?

The purpose of both treatments is one – to whiten your teeth with ultimate perfection. However, the level of execution and effectiveness are different for both treatments. But dentists always recommend opting for professional teeth whitening treatment. The sole reason for this is that professional teeth whitening is performed with the assistance of expert dentists. And, the bleaching agent will also be applied as per the whitening level needed for your teeth and that too in a short span. 

Although you would need to visit the dental centre, your teeth will get shininess in the long term. On the contrary, as dental professionals do not recommend over-the-counter treatment solutions, they involve more risks of damaging the structural integrity of your teeth. That’s why professional teeth whitening should be your choice if you wish to whiten your teeth with ultimate perfection.

Final Say

Professional teeth whitening and over-the-counter (OTC) teeth whitening solutions have a vast array of differences among them. From the level of effectiveness to longevity to affordability to convenience, both treatments have different paths. However, there are dental centres that offer proper assistance for both treatments.

Woodleigh Waters Dental Surgery is a Berwick dental centre offering teeth whitening treatment with an advanced tooth whitening system that involves both treatments. Our advanced dental practices ensure you have a healthy and brighter smile for the years to come.

Contact us now to get the expert teeth whitening treatment in Berwick.

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