Probably by far the most popular cosmetic dental treatment is the tooth whitening procedure. It is not hard to see why as it produces instant and noticeable results whilst being inexpensive and quick and easy to do.
The whiter smile that can be gained from it is something that many people treasure and repeat the process throughout their lives. For those less familiar with the treatment though, here a a few little known pieces of information about tooth whitening.

Safety Tooth

Tooth whitening is a completely safe treatment. However, some of the ‘at home’ kits can cause damage to the soft tissues such as gums and lips if not applied correctly. For this reason especially, it is better to have it done professionally.

Professional Whitening

Apart from whitening toothpastes which are largely ineffective and ‘at home whitening’ kits which are potentially hazardous as well as having limited results, the only place you are able to have tooth whitening done is by a dental professional. Whilst you may expect a beautician for example to be able to perform this procedure, it is actually illegal in the UK and can only be done by a trained dental professional.

No Damage

Some people seem to think that the whitening is achieved by stripping away a fine layer from the exterior of the teeth. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only would that be ineffective but would also damage the tooth if repeated several times. The process works by actually lightening the INNER molecules of the teeth and causes no damage at all.

DIY Teeth Whitening

Whilst it wouldn’t be true to say that tooth whitening toothpastes don’t work; by their very nature, the effects are minimal. This is due to regulations stating how much of the active ingredient is allowed. With toothpastes, these are often left lying around the bathroom and anyone with young children will know that toothpaste is a favourite with kids and therefore too much of the active ingredient in a toothpaste could have very serious consequences if eaten.

There are kits that are designed to whiten teeth at home and these are certainly more effective as a larger quantity of the active ingredient can be included. This is a double edged sword though as though this gives better results, if it is not applied correctly, the user is likely to end up with burns to the lips and gums which can be very painful. As you can imagine, applying it to your own teeth is difficult which also increases the risks.

By using a dental professional to whiten your teeth, you can be assured that your lips and gums will be well protected and the procedure carried out safely and effectively leaving you with a bright new smile.

Image source by www.ohio.edu
Written by Katie Schwarz. After a minor burn to her lips when trying a DIY kit, the author, Katie Schwarz turned to her local cosmetic dentist for a tooth whitening procedure and was delighted with the results, and without the burns too!!