What is the Best Professional Teeth Whitening?

Question

For a long time my teeth have bothered me. Too yellowed and stained to even smile much.  Before i just pick up some random teeth whitener, can you tell me what options there are and the best ones to whiten my teeth?

James Goolnik, BDS, MSc · Answer

The only difference in the hundreds of dentist-prescribed whitening systems out there is the concentration of the gel (oxygenating agent) and the way it is applied to your teeth.
There are two main ways of carrying out tooth whitening:

Tray based whitening. The gel is placed in a custom made night-guard which is worn for a set period for 10-14 days. The period you wear the trays depends on the type and concentration of peroxide gel.
In-surgery whitening, also known as laser or power bleaching. Here, more concentrated gels are applied directly to the teeth and accelerated with heat or light (laser/power). We still make custom-made trays for the patient to use afterwards to maximise the whitening and for maintenance.

Sensitivity to laser/power bleaching is usually only for the rest of that day. We suggest avoiding very hot or cold foods. Take whatever medication you would take for a headache and if you have custom-made trays place some sensitive toothpaste in the trays and wear for 10 minutes.

Craig S. Wilson, DDS · Answer

There are many whitening agents available, but buyer beware!  Because these products are considered a cosmetic and not subject to FDA testing, there are products that will damage the tooth structure.  Buying products over the counter or even from your dentist does not guarantee it is safe.  That being said, there are safe products that will whiten and not damage the teeth.  The basic formula for successful whitening is time in contact with teeth and concentration of the whitening agent.  Using heat and light to "activate" gel increases trauma to the pulp of the tooth and has not been shown to improve whitening over gel alone. The easiest on the tooth is a low concentration of carbamide peroxide over a long time.  This can be done safely using a tray system of whitening.

Natwarlal Tibrewal, BDS · Answer

The best option is always to get it assessed by the dental professional for exact cause of discolouration and best solution. Home whitening has traditionally proved to be the best of all.

Norman Huefner, DDS · Answer

Your dentist has numerous choices in bleaching systems to offer his patients.  Nowadays you can expect any of the professional bleaching systems that your dentist recommends and dispenses to work.  They seem to all whiten teeth to one degree or another.  However, dental bleaching does not whiten everyone's teeth the same.  Just like certain people's skin tans better than others, it is the same with teeth whitening.  Some will get an incredible teeth whitening result very fast, and others may undergo numerous bleaching sessions and only get a minimal result.

	The good news for you is yellow teeth tend to bleach better than gray or brown teeth.

	Regarding a particular brand, Discus, Phillips, Ultradent have been around a long time and over the years have captured much favor among dentists.   Some have a carbamide peroxide base and others a hydrogen peroxide base.  But bottom line, they all work, but as previously stated, it depends more upon the makeup of your particular teeth than the type of bleaching agent used.  Your dentist can evaluate your teeth and prescribe what he/she thinks will work best in your care.

Gerilyn Alfe, DMD · Answer

If your teeth are significantly stained and yellow, in-office whitening supervised by your dentist is your best bet. I find the AcquaBrite whitening system to be the most effective, even for stubbornly stained teeth (like tetracycline-stained grey/brown teeth), with little to no sensitivity. Using a combination of in-office whitening gel along with at home bleaching, we've gotten awesome results with our patients.

Wendy S. Spektor, DDS · Answer

If you have stained and yellow teeth,  the best Professional Whitening Product is KOR Whitening.  It works and you will be thrilled with the results.  Check out their web site!!!

Scott Greenhalgh, DDS · Answer

The BEST whitening is one that has been thoughtfully matched to your discoloration, the current comfort of your teeth now, and your personality style. 

	For many people, the best result is from Deep Bleaching or Deep Whitening. It is a combination method of some whitening in the office and a short period of whitening at home. 

	A significant percentage of people can get great results at home using professionally made home whitening trays. As a cosmetic dentist in Denver for over twenty years, not all the trays are the same. The other major consideration with home whitening depends a lot upon YOUR personality. To get really nice results at home, means using your trays for a concentrated number of days consistently. I have found that not everyone has the temperament to do this consistently. If that's you, don't waste your time and money as you will likely only get fair results at best.

Kimberly Johnson Genc, DDS · Answer

In my professional opinion, I think whitening with a high strength gel, using custom trays is the best. It is cost effective, safe, and gets great results for a healthy, bright smile. Your dentist would make the trays by taking a custom mold of your teeth. Patients who are good candidates for this procedure, in my office, are sent home with their trays, a 35% Opalescence whitening kit, and detailed instructions. Whitening is achieved by wearing the gel in the trays for 30 minutes per day. The average patient usually completes the whitening in 7-10 days.

Benjamin S. Fiss, DDS · Answer

All bleaching systems (take home trays or Zoom whitening) produce the same result they just take different amounts of time. The final color of your teeth can fade slightly over time. For that reason I usually suggest zoom first followed by take home trays to touch up after cleanings. Watch my videos for more information

Susan Goode Estep, DMD · Answer

There are 3 main options for professional whitening that range in cost and effectiveness. 
In-office whitening is the fastest method. It is done in your dentist's office, takes about 2 hours, and is the most expensive. About 25% of patients reach maximum whitening results after one visit. On average, it takes 3 visits to reach max results.
Tray systems work in two methods. Day or Night. Day whitening requires you to wear trays with whitening gel for an hour each day. Maximum results are usually reached within 10 days to 3 weeks.
Night whitening uses a slow release whitening gel that works over the course of 5-6 hours. This method is used to whiten very dark teeth, or to get faster results than the day system.

Jenny Shen, DDS · Answer

When comparing different whitening systems, you need to take into consideration several key points:

What kind of light source does this system use?
Does the system contain a light filtration system?
What is the strength of the whitening gel used?
What is the quality of the whitening gel?

There are several different kinds of light sources available and some are significantly stronger than others. Essentially the stronger the light source, the faster and more effective whitening treatment. The strongest light technology options available right now are halogen and mercury metal halide light. Beyond WhiteSpa uses a halogen light source. Other cheaper, less effective options include LED or even gimmicky, flashing lights. You want to consider a system that has one of the more powerful light source options as these will produce better, longer-lasting whitening results because the light-accelerated whitening will be stronger and deeper.
For the systems with stronger light sources, you will want to use one that filters the harmful spectrums of the light out before it is exposed to your mouth. Beyond WhiteSpa has an advanced light filtration system that removes all harmful ultraviolet light and restricts the light spectrum to the most effective whitening wavelengths, between 480-520 nanometers. Other systems, including Zoom, don&rsquo;t filter their light, so your mouth is being exposed to all wavelengths of light, including potentially harmful ultraviolet light. These systems require that all pink tissue in the mouth be completely blocked-out in order to avoid exposure to UV in your mouth during the treatment.
Beyond WhiteSpa uses a 6% hydrogen peroxide, over-the-counter strength whitening gel; in-office dental systems use between 15%-35% hydrogen peroxide. The higher the hydrogen peroxide percentage is, the faster the treatment &ndash; but the greater the risk of sensitivity. Regardless of the strength of the gel, you will see the same results in the end. The benefit to Beyond WhiteSpa&rsquo;s gentle whitening gel is that it is ideal for those clients with sensitive teeth or who are looking for a less invasive whitening treatment.
High-quality whitening gels use a dual-barrel dispensing system because they contain both active ingredients and activating catalysts that actively work to accelerate the whitening process and provide the best and longest-lasting results. Cheaper whitening gels are beginning to flood the market and the results seen from these are not comparable to those from high-quality whitening systems.

Essentially, when researching what teeth whitening system you want to use to whiten your teeth, you want to ask as many questions as possible so that you can make an informed decision. The person you talk to (either aesthetician or dentist) should be able to answer your questions thoroughly and to your satisfaction. Cheaper whitening systems are starting to enter the market and you need to proceed with caution when considering using these systems. Lack of a light filtration system or a lower-quality whitening gel could seriously injure you or your client or result in bad whitening results. It is important that you feel comfortable with the quality of the system before beginning any whitening treatment and that you are familiar with how the system works and the precautions (if any) that need to be taken.

What is the Best Professional Teeth Whitening?

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