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Advanced cosmetic and general dentistry

Store-bought teeth whitening trays vs whitening strips

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Which is better store-bought teeth whitening trays or whitening strips? Thanks Ethan

Ethan – One of the common complaints about store-bought teeth whitening trays is that they don’t fit properly. The trays need to fit well for the whitening gel to penetrate your teeth. And one-size-fits-all trays won’t fit you well. You will end up wasting a lot of whitening gel.

Whitening strips fit snugly against your teeth to help the gel penetrate your teeth. But even the results from the whitening gel will be limited, because the gel is only a fraction of the strength of the gel you get from your dentist.

Dentists provide you with custom-made bleaching trays and professional strength teeth whitening gel to penetrate your teeth and break down stains. A cosmetic dentist can also determine the best way to get your smile brilliantly white, depending on the type of stains in your teeth.

Speak with your dentist about teeth whitening. He or she may be able to make it affordable for you.

This post is sponsored by Lowell dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Do the teeth whitening kits featured on Groupon really work?

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I keep seeing Groupons for teeth whitening kits. $39 is much cheaper than having my teeth whitened by my dentist. But do these kits really work? Thanks! Chantele R.

Chantele – Whether or not the teeth whitening kit works depends on the agent used in the whitening gel, as well as the strength of the whitening agent. But there are several reasons that you might want to have your teeth professionally whitened by your dentist.

Over-the-counter whitening strips and gels will only remove surface stains, if they help at all. The same is true for whitening toothpaste. The whitening gel that you receive from your dentist will penetrate your teeth and remove embedded stains.

Teeth bleaching  isn’t right for everyone. Depending on the cause of the stains, whitening your teeth will make the stains even more noticeable. Your dentist will exam your teeth, determine the cause of the stains, and recommend the appropriate treatment for them—which may not be teeth bleaching. In some cases, porcelain veneers are the only way to conceal stains or discoloration in teeth.

Your dentist will take an impression of your teeth so that customized teeth bleaching trays can be made for you. Ready-to-use kits have one-size-fits-all trays, which often do not fit correctly. The results of the whitening gel will not be as efficient as it would with customized trays. If the ready-made trays are too large, gel will likely be wasted.

Talk with your dentist about your interest in teeth whitening. He or she will be able to give you a beautifully white smile. Some dentists offer teeth whitening specials from time to time, too.

This blog post is courtesy of Lowell cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Can I bleach my bonded teeth?

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I had my two front teeth bonded about 14 years ago. These teeth are now looking more grey and dingy, but I don’t have the money to have the bonding re-done right now. Is it true that bonding will not change color with bleaching? Could I use a tooth whitening product to bleach the bonded teeth whiter? Will using a product like Crest WhiteStrips improve the shade at all?

– H in Lowell

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Pain while bleaching teeth at home

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I have been using an take-home tooth bleaching system purchased from a local drugstore for about two weeks with no problems. But yesterday, I used the strips and felt a sharp pain for about 30 seconds. The pain was in a front tooth on which I have had dental bonding done. The bonding was done about 10 years ago to repair that tooth after it was damaged and chipped. Could the dental bond be nearing the end of its life cycle or is the whitening product weakening the bond? I think it may be both.

Thanks!

Kim

Dear Kim,

It’s unlikely that the bleaching system is harming the dental bond. Also, if the dental bond were weak, the repair to the chipped portion of the tooth would fall off. You would not just feel pain.

The kind of pain you describe sounds like it could be caused by the bleaching gel reaching a sensitive part of that tooth. There could be a small space of tooth that used to be covered by the bonding agent that is now exposed. Unfortunately, your case is a good example of why it’s a good idea to only undergo teeth bleaching (whitening) under the supervision of a qualified dentist. If you have a dentist that you see regularly, make an appointment so that he or she can examine the tooth and determine the source of the pain. The tooth may be able to be coated with something that will allow you to continue the bleaching program pain free.