What is the best way to whiten my teeth? A question we hear all the time. Let’s talk about our three options: in office whitening, take home custom bleach trays, and over the counter options from the drug store.
Bleaching is accomplished by using an oxidizing agent like hydrogen peroxide to break up stains in the enamel of the teeth. Take home products will often add carbamide to the peroxide to extend the working time of the bleach. Whereas hydrogen peroxide usually breaks down within 45 minutes, carbamide peroxide has an extended working time of up to 6 hours making it ideal for overnight bleach trays
In Office Whitening
We offer Zoom! in-office whitening at our office. In the office, we start by covering and protecting the gum tissue with a protective coating.
Because the tissues are protected, we are able to use a highly concentrated bleach (approximately 45% hydrogen peroxide). A LED light is used for bleach activation and patients are in the chair for about an hour. In office bleaching is the fastest and most convenient way to bleach your teeth.
Custom Bleach Trays
Another great option for bleaching is to have bleach trays made at the dental office that you wear at home. Since the tissues are not protected and isolated like in-office bleaching, a weaker concentration of bleach is used. For this reason, the bleaching is usually repeated daily for 1-2 weeks. The oxidizing agent is a weaker 10-15% hydrogen peroxide or more commonly a carbamide peroxide for extended release. Carbamide peroxide ranges from 10-45%.
How long do you need to wear your bleach trays each day?
That depends on the bleach concentration that you select. We offer Opalescence bleach, one of the most popular brands worldwide. Although Opalescence adds a desensitizer, potassium nitrate, to all its bleach syringes- individuals with very sensitive teeth will need to use a weaker bleach concentration for a longer period of time. Opalescence recommends the following:
- Opalescence 10%: 8-10 hours or overnight
- Opalescence 15%: 4-6 hours
- Opalescence 20%: 2-4 hours
- Opalescence 35%: 30-60 minutes
- Opalescence 45%: 15-30 minutes
Although all concentrations yield the same end result, obviously the stronger concentrations are more convenient with the shorter wear times. However, bleaching can be for everyone. Even those with sensitive teeth can usually bleach with the weaker concentrations.
Opalescence also offers Opalescence Go for patients that don’t want to have impressions made to get bleach trays. This is a super convenient and economical option where patients just drop by the front desk and buy a box with a one week bleach kit. This is like going half way between professional bleach trays and over the counter white strips.
Over the Counter Whitening Options
Crest White Strips are currently the most popular OTC option. The limitation of strips is that the coverage is not as complete as a custom tray that is made to fit your teeth specifically. However, White Strips are still a great bleaching option. Although concentrations vary, 10% hydrogen peroxide is typical, so Crest White Strips use the same active ingredient as whitening with bleach trays.
What about Whitening Toothpaste?
Bleaching breaks up pigmented stains embedded in the enamel tubules. Whitening toothpaste is more superficial. Whitening toothpaste is just an abrasive used to “scratch” off surface stains on the teeth, much like an abrasive bathroom cleaner is used inside a toilet bowl. Whitening toothpastes are primarily beneficial for people that regularly consume coffee, tea, red wine, are other foods known to heavily stain teeth.
The Bottom Line
In a study comparing in-office versus at home custom tray bleaching (1), patients exhibited a similar number of shade changes when bleaching at home for a week as patients doing one session of in-office whitening.
So which option is best? In-office Zoom whitening is fast, convenient, and often patients who think they will bleach at home for a week don’t follow through.
However, if patients are dedicated to wearing the trays at home, they can actually achieve whiter teeth by bleaching at home for two weeks. Also, if patients don’t lose their bleach trays, it is inexpensive to buy bleach (about $20) every 6 months and keep their smile bright.
- Radz,G; Effectiveness of a Combined In-Office and Take-Home Whitening System for Teeth Shades A3.5 to A4, Compendium, October 2014.