If you have discolored teeth, the ultimate dream you may have is to whiten them. White teeth will give you the confidence to put out your smile without holding back. But how safe are teeth whitening – if you have ever thought about it extensively. Many people are afraid to get their teeth white because they don’t know how safe it is. Below, you get to find out if it is safe to whiten your teeth and how it works. You also get the answer to how long it will take you to have your teeth whitened.

Teeth Whitening Options

There are several options when it comes to teeth whitening. You only need to choose your preference based on time and financial capabilities.

These are the available options you can use:

• Administered – a dentist helps this one

This is an in-office treatment that some of the best dentists St. Leonards has can help you with. Here, they use carbamide peroxide to bleach your teeth. The good thing about this mode of therapy is that it is fast. You get in the office for an hour, and you’re done.

It can, at times, take a few visits to get the teeth fully whitened.

• Dispensed – a dentist dispenses this one, and you use it at home.

For a dispensed mode of treatment, the dentist will recommend a course and follow it at home. one of the things they do is make custom-fit trays that fit in your mouth. You will then add a recommended gel and wear the tray for 30 minutes. This will be done for a couple of weeks at least once every single day.

• Over the counter – the ones that are made at home without the presence of a dentist

There are several OTC that you can also go for when it comes to teeth whitening. There are whitening toothpaste, activated charcoal, and whitening strips. These methods, though, can take a bit longer than expected.

Side Effects of Teeth Whitening

It isn’t all rainbows and sunshine when it comes to teeth whitening. There can be some side effects that come with the process. Some of them are

• Teeth sensitivity – after the process, your teeth are likely to be more sensitive. If you see a dentist for your whitening, they’ll recommend products with sodium fluoride gel and potassium nitrate if you have sensitive teeth.
• Irritated gums – you may also experience gingival irritation after teeth whitening. This will happen when your gums come into contact with teeth whitening products.

You also need to know that teeth whitening can’t be done once and for all. So you need to ensure that you seek whitening ideas often. It would help if you had both intrinsic and extrinsic discoloration of the teeth. Another thing you need to note is that these products are for natural teeth only. When you have a crown or implants, you’ll need to talk to your dentist about it.

How Teeth Whitening Works

Teeth whitening is something that you can seek at any moment you see your teeth discolored. This is how it is done and some of the side effects that can come out of it.