Dentist Versus Home Teeth Whitening Kits

Trust me, the dentist loves nothing more than you to booking an appointment with them for an in-office teeth whitening. Chances are, they will even discourage you from getting home kits. Heck some decades back, that was the only way of whitening your teeth but times have changed. But here are the cold facts laid on the table.Lets examine what you go through whitening at the dentist and at home.

Dentist: When you book an appointment to whiten your teeth at the dentist, your dentist would first of all take molds of your teeth ( like an imprint of the shape of your teeth) and send them off to a laboratory. Then in 5- 10 days (in Nigeria maybe a month) you will receive a mouth piece custom made for you. Next you sit for 2-3 hours with the plastic mold in your mouth, filled with peroxide, pressed to your teeth and gums. This you have to repeat for 3-4 visits to the dentist, after which your teeth will be certified whiter. This costs nothing less than between 80 thousand- and 150 thousand naira. Then you have to come back like 6 months later for another whitening or rather touch up.


Teeth Whitening Home Kits: There are different types of teeth whitening home kits available. The characteristic though is the ease of use and its affordability. But sure it is as effective as the in-office whitening. The same results. It also gives you the comfort of doing it at home at your own pace.

The teeth whitening trays with gel, tries to mimic what the dentist does for you. There are plastic trays that you put into boiling water and bite into it. This leaves the shape of your teeth in the plastic like the dentist molds. Then the gel is put in it and you place it in your mouth for a while, hours. Although this method is also effective, i found out that for me it wasn't so comfortable. I couldn't swallow saliva or take anything in during this period. My gums also irritated me a lot and it swelled a bit.

But with the teeth Whitening Strips i got the best for my teeth. I just had to put the strips of cello tape in my teeth for just 30 minutes twice daily and voila i could see results in 3 days. Just 3 days. No swollen gums because the had a product for sensitive teeth. I could drink while putting on the strips in the office, using a straw. And to top it all, it wasn't expensive. It cost between 80 dollars to 100 dollars here in Nigeria. No trays, no laser lights, no slimy gel, no swollen gums or headache or any side effect at all.

So for me, i would rather whiten my teeth at home, at my pace with noticeable results than spend time booking an appointment and all the whole procedures at an overblown price from my dentist.