When comparing the home vs. dentist whitening solutions, consider what you are trying to accomplish. If your teeth are white but are starting to turn slightly yellow, you may see some positive results with a simple store bought solution. However, if your teeth have any stains, it is far better to skip this step and head straight to our office for a professional teeth whitening. If you do try something at home, there are a few things you should be aware of.

How long the solution remains on your teeth is important. When it comes to teeth bleaching, the whitening solution needs to be on your teeth long enough to work. This is why something like a whitening pen or whitening toothpaste can't possibly make much of a difference. The solution is washed off almost immediately. Simultaneously, when you buy whitening strips in the store, they tend to slip out of place and also lose their effectiveness.

The solution needs to get below the surface. Any time you look at whitening products, look for ones that say they penetrate below the enamel. When you schedule a professional bleaching, this will happen every time. When you buy something at the store, however, it is rare. Without penetrating below the enamel, you will never truly remove all of the stains.

If you would prefer to whiten your teeth at home, you can still have a professional teeth whitening. You can have whitening trays created at the dentist and wear them at home while using professional whitening solution. This will deliver impressive results and be more comfortable than any trays that you can buy in the store. Since store-bought whitening trays are made to fit everyone, they are typically loose, and the solution will leak out of them and into the back of your throat. This is entirely uncomfortable and completely avoidable when you use trays created by a dentist. If you live in Denville or the surrounding area, we invite you to visit our dental office to see how easy professional whitening is and how much more effective it can be than a store-bought solution.