One of the favourite dental treatments nowadays is cosmetic teeth-whitening. A procedure that promises the shiny and bright smile that everybody wants. 

Have you seen how all of a sudden many famous and every day people show off teeth like pearls, even when they didn’t before?

Ding, ding! Exactly, they’ve gotten some kind of whitening treatment, among them, cosmetic whitening.

But, what is cosmetic teeth whitening? Keep on reading and find out!

Cosmetic teeth-whitening: what is it, and what’s the procedure?

Cosmetic teeth-whitening is an essentially painless treatment, also known as bleaching. This procedure is not invasive, even if it sounds like it was. It aims to change the color of your teeth, making them clearer and shinier.

There is more than one type of whitening method that you can benefit from, depending on your needs.

  • Professional in-office teeth whitening (this one is what most dentists mean when they recommend a professional cosmetic teeth-whitening procedure)
  • Professionally prescribed at-home whitening
  • Over the counter whitening products

Each of these consists of a different procedure; let’s look at how cosmetic teeth-whitening works.

What do cosmetic whitening procedures involve?

Some methods may involve more than one appointment, while others just need one. Even so, they all provide a specific grade of effect. 

Let’s compare them.

Professional in-office teeth whitening

This is the fastest way to a whiter smile. 

In-office processes, as a trained professional dentist performs them, use delicate faster-action products like peroxide gel. Of course, the dentist will first apply a protective covering to your teeth!

Depending on your case, you may need more or fewer appointments to get the desired results. Each session consists of several 15-to-20 minutes of applications with the peroxide. In the end, it will take 45 minutes to an hour.

Professionally prescribed at-home whitening

The favourite procedure of many dentists, it’s a more progressive type of cosmetic teeth whitening. It uses a lower concentration of peroxide or other bleaching gel. The idea is that it can gradually whiten your teeth even more than more aggressive in-office treatments.

If that’s the absolute truth or not, it’s still in discussion. But whatever it is, this treatment is capable of visibly whitening your teeth.

It consists of two visits where the dentist takes an impression and designs a mould for your trays. And then, you try on those trays, get sure you don’t need any alignments and take them home. 

It’s at home where most of the action occurs, as you should wear the trays with the whitening product an hour or two or overnight. 

Over the counter whitening products

It’s the cheapest option available, it’s mostly recommended if you just want to brighten your front teeth lightly. These products come in a generic tray + low concentration gel and do precisely the same as at-home prescribed treatments, but with milder effects.

Some people also include whitening toothpaste within the over-the-counter options. But these only remove superficial stains and will never get your teeth’s enamel whiter.

As you can see, cosmetic teeth-whitening is a simple procedure. It may provide better or worst results, quicker or more gradually, depending on your needs and budget! If you find cosmetic teeth whitening interesting, you might be interested in learning about the cost of cosmetic teeth whitening. Also learn about braces

If you have any further questions about cosmetic teeth whitening, contact our experienced dentists in Hornsby.