Gerry Curatola, DDS

There are two types of at-home bleaching kits. The best is the tray whitening systems given to you by your dentist. The dentist will make a custom fitted, flexible, comfortable tray. These are designed to fit close to the teeth so they stay in place but are made from a soft, flexible material that is very comfortable; many people don’t even know the tray is in place. We take care to make sure there are no sharp or rough edges that might irritate the gums and cheeks. The gel the dentist dispenses is specifically designed for teeth whitening.

It comes in different flavors and, more importantly, in different concentrations so that you use a gel that is comfortable to your mouth and minimizes sensitivity. I have patients that can only tolerate the lowest level of concentration; other patients are comfortable with higher concentrations.

I do not recommend non-tray at-home whitening systems like strips or cotton applicators as they expose the mouth directly with peroxide gel while the tray systems generally keep the material confined to the teeth.