Do-It-Yourself Teeth Whitening

DIY Teeth Whitening At Home: What You Always Wanted To Know.

White teeth are beautiful to look at. There is no changing that. No wonder more and more people are turning to do-it-yourself whitening products. Get white teeth quickly and save on dentist’s fees: That sounds just too tempting. However, bleaching strips and gels from the drugstore or eBay are anything but safe. We present the various DIY alternatives and briefly the professional methods of teeth whitening.

Are over-the-counter whitening gels, strips and tray gel kits safe?

Everyone who regularly drinks their black tea or a glass of red wine knows the problem: teeth become discolored and do not find their way back to their old “shine” even after a professional dental cleaning. What could be more natural than trying out one of the tooth whitening products available on the free market? As tempting as the promises of the providers may sound: We at the orthodontic practice dr.med.dent. Adler are convinced that bleaching with DIY products does more harm than good. But from the beginning:

Why are do-it-yourself bleaching products ineffective?

Bleaching products from the drugstore or eBay do not contain enough carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide to permanently change tooth color. According to the legislator, they may have a maximum active ingredient concentration of 0.1%. Dental practices, on the other hand, work with much higher concentrations (0.1-6% home bleaching and in-office bleaching up to 35%), which makes it possible to achieve a beautiful, even whitening of the teeth.

Also, it happens very easily that users make mistakes when bleaching at home. In turn, incorrect application of the products can lead to unexpected and undesirable results. Why, you will learn in the following paragraphs.

Bleaching - Pens, Strips And Tinctures: Cheap, Ineffective And Often Harmful

Bleaching strips (strips) for teeth whitening are widely available. They are available for little money in drugstores or on the Internet. The same applies to bleaching pens for treating individual teeth, as well as special tinctures with which the user brushes his teeth. In most cases, you will achieve a slight teeth-whitening effect with these products. However, the hoped-for wow effect will not occur with them.

Since the strips (whitening strips) only lie on the tooth surfaces, the bleaching agent does not reach the interdental spaces. With the bleaching pen and the tincture, the application is often not even. For this reason, the result of these methods is often stained. We say: better slightly darker teeth than stained ones!

Another problem we often encounter is the tooth and gum irritation that occurs when the products are used excessively and improperly. Many users repeat the procedure if they are dissatisfied after the first pass. Then, after several passes, they suddenly complain of painful teeth.

Sets Of Dental Trays And Whitening Gel: One For All!

Many of the do-it-yourself products come as a set of universal dental trays and bleaching gels. Since these trays are not individually adapted to the user’s teeth, it is difficult to dose the bleaching gel. Some teeth get too little, others too much of the gel. If this then oozes out of the trays, severe gum irritation is pre-programmed.

Pseudo-Professional Teeth Whitening Sets

Recently, there are even sets on the Internet consisting of impression trays, impression material, UV light and bleaching gel for sale. With these sets, consumers are led to believe that you can make your own custom trays to perform light-activated bleaching just like at the dentist’s office. However, it takes some experience to create a good dental impression. No wonder the do-it-yourself trays often don’t fit properly. The included UV lamp doesn’t have enough power to support teeth whitening. At the low price, it can’t. Unfortunately, the packaging of these products often indicates no active ingredient concentration or one that is far too high for over-the-counter products. The customer thus receives a surprise package – with unpleasant consequences.

Unsafe Treatment

Although the aforementioned DIY whitening kits are advertised as “safe,” they often cause users to experience toothaches, gum inflammation and stomach problems. In the worst cases, DIY teeth whitening even damages the nerves of the teeth. If you want to be absolutely sure that your teeth will not “die” as a result of DIY – bleaching, it is better to leave the whitening kits alone.

Special Toothpastes For Teeth Whitening

Many toothpastes with the promise of whiter teeth contain bicarbonate and sometimes Blue Covarine, a dye that makes yellow teeth look whiter for a short time. The active principle of these toothpastes is based primarily on medium to high abrasion. The abrasion more or less reliably removes tea, red wine and nicotine stains. This gives the impression of whiter teeth, although the paste actually only makes them particularly clean and makes them “look” whiter. Users do not achieve real teeth whitening with it.

The main disadvantage of abrasive toothpastes is that they can cause severe damage to tooth enamel and especially to exposed tooth necks.

Oil Pulling (Oil Chewing, Oil Cure) - An Ayurvedic Method Of Teeth Whitening

The alternative Ayurvedic method of oil pulling as part of dental care is becoming increasingly popular in the West. It is said to strengthen the entire oral cavity and have a teeth-whitening effect. When oil pulling (oil chewing), you keep a tablespoon of oil in your mouth for about 15 minutes and pull it “through your teeth” from time to time. Sesame oil is recommended, but you can also use any other cold-pressed vegetable oil. According to Ayurvedic teachings, the oil is where the body’s toxins collect. When you spit out the oil, the toxins are supposed to disappear as well. In fact, the oil cure has a positive effect on the mouth and teeth, which is why we thoroughly recommend it. However, it cannot bring about a real whitening of teeth or even a cure for dental diseases.

In Summary: The Main Advantages And Disadvantages Of Diy Home - Bleaching

Advantages

Disadvantages

Less effective and unpredictable results.
DIY methods are convenient, but they are only effective up to a certain point. You will never achieve the same results with them as you would in the professional environment of a dental office.
Tooth and gum damage due to application errors.
When doing do-it-yourself teeth whitening at home, you can make many mistakes. The risk of damaging your enamel or gums is high. If you are not careful, DIY teeth whitening can do more harm than good.

What are the effective and safe options for teeth whitening?

Many dentists offer fast and especially safe in-office bleaching in addition to so-called home bleaching. In both cases, the treatment is always preceded by professional teeth cleaning. In this way, the dentists ensure that the whitening is based on the actual tooth color and that the treatment result is uniform.

Controlled home bleaching: convenient teeth whitening at home

As part of home bleaching, the dentist will give you individually made dental trays and bleaching gel to take home. Of course, he will also instruct you in the proper use of the kit. He will choose the concentration of active ingredients so that tooth sensitivity is minimized and the whitening result is maximized. The duration of the treatment is individually between 8 to 14 days. A check-up appointment is held in between.

In-office bleaching: Efficient, Fast And Safe Bleaching At The Dentist's Office

With in-office bleaching, the bleaching gel is applied directly to the teeth. In this process, the dentist or specially trained dental assistant works with a concentration of active ingredients that is much higher than in over-the-counter products. The additional use of UV light activates and accelerates tooth whitening. The sensitive gums are covered before the treatment begins and thus are perfectly protected.

In most cases, one dental session is sufficient for significantly whitened teeth and a radiant smile. In the case of very dark teeth, however, up to three treatments may be necessary. After the bleaching treatment, a special dental care product is applied to protect your teeth.

Would you like to learn more about bleaching in our orthodontic practice? Then feel free to call and make an appointment with us.

Call us today at 030 44 323 019 or email us at info@speedcorrect.de.

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