DIY Vs. Professional Teeth Whitening: What Is The Real Difference?
Everyone wants sparkling white teeth. We are all born with them. However, as we get older, the chances of our teeth getting stained or discolored increase. This has increased the need for both DIY and professional teeth whitening.
Teeth whitening is a quite simple dental procedure. It involves removing stains from your teeth and making them shine again. We all have naturally white teeth. However, the enamel can get stained over time. DIY or professional teeth whitening can solve this problem in no time. The key is to start as early as possible.
If you are looking for a trusted clinic for teeth whitening in Dubai, Magnum Clinic does the job in no time. Even if you have deep-seated stains, our advanced teeth whitening procedure will remove them in a few minutes.
Magnum Clinic uses the latest BEYOND Polus teeth whitening system for this procedure. Our dental professionals incorporate the latest technologies to give you the best results.
We make professional teeth whitening quicker and more effective than the DIY options. However, if you need any help with home remedies, our professionals would love to help you out.
You can book a consultation or an appointment with Magnum Clinic today to take your first step toward advanced teeth whitening.
The DIY Vs. Professional Teeth Whitening Debate
You can make your teeth whiter using multiple products and procedures. While some people resort to DIY and home-based remedies, others visit dental professionals.
If you are confused between the two alternatives, continue reading to clear your doubts.
The DIY (do it yourself) way of teeth whitening involves household or over-the-counter ingredients. These procedures may or may not be advised by dentists.
You can follow this teeth whitening approach using toothpaste, gels, strips, DIY LED light kits, and more. People also rinse their mouths with hydrogen peroxide or baking soda to whiten their teeth.
Professional teeth whitening, on the other hand, is performed by professional dentists. They use proven teeth-whitening agents like hydrogen or carbamide peroxide to bring whiteness and shine to your teeth. Modern dentists also use the latest technologies for professional teeth whitening.
Our professionals at Magnum Clinic use the latest teeth whitening devices like BEYOND Polus to give you significant results in a single session. They tackle even deep stains to give you whiter teeth almost immediately.
When Should You Go For Teeth Whitening?
Whether you choose DIY or professional teeth whitening, the underlying reasons remain the same. You should go for teeth whitening when your teeth get stained or discolored.
Many factors lead to such teeth, such as:
Foods And Drinks
Something as basic as what you eat and drink can stain your teeth. The effect may not be immediate, but you should be careful when consuming certain foods or beverages.
The usual suspects here are red wine, coffee, tea, and other foods and drinks with bright colors. Always clean your teeth thoroughly after consuming them to avoid the need for teeth whitening.
Tobacco
You must have seen permanent stains on the teeth of people who chew tobacco a lot. Tobacco has enough nicotine and tar to stain your teeth.
There is no point in guessing that tar is naturally black! It will stick to your enamel and stain it over time. Nicotine is colorless but can turn yellow after reacting with oxygen. This new substance can easily stain your teeth if you chew or smoke tobacco a lot.
Injury
Trauma to your mouth can also increase your need for a professional teeth whitening procedure. When you are hit in your mouth due to some accident, your teeth may stop receiving sufficient blood. This leads to discoloration.
If you do not pay attention to the injury, your enamel will keep getting thinner and develop a yellowish layer on it. Getting too late will leave you no option but to extract the damaged tooth and replace it with an implant.
Age
Your enamel gets thinner as you age. After a certain age, your teeth may start displaying the yellow-colored substance called dentin. It lies right below your teeth and starts staining them with time. This also makes your enamel thinner. This is the reason many older adults have yellowish teeth.
Medicines
Some medications can also affect your teeth's natural color. Common medicines include blood pressure medicines, antipsychotics, and antihistamines. Patients receiving chemotherapy or neck radiation may also have darker teeth.
What Are The Most Common DIY Teeth Whitening Options?
The simplest way to whiten your teeth is through DIY practices at home. While they are not 100% effective and take much longer than teeth whitening, there is no harm in trying them out.
You can choose from the following common DIY teeth whitening options:
Teeth Whitening Strips
Teeth whitening strips are common DIY products used by people all over the world. You can find them at a chemist's shop near you. These strips are thin and made from plastic. There is a coating of teeth-whitening gel over them, which usually contains hydrogen peroxide.
Buy this strip and wear it on your teeth for 25 to 20 minutes every day. Visible results may take a couple of weeks. Ensure that you look after your teeth during this period.
Whitening Toothpaste
Almost all major toothpaste brands have teeth-whitening pastes. They contain ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, mild abrasives, blue covering, etc., to eliminate stains and whiten your teeth.
While whitening toothpaste is effective for milder and surface-level stains, it will not be effective on deep-seated stains. This is when you will need a professional teeth whitening treatment.
Gels
Teeth whitening gels are similar to toothpaste. You can buy such gels (often containing carbamide peroxide) over the counter and apply them to your teeth using your toothbrush or a dedicated pen.
Teeth whitening gels are easy to get and quite convenient but not too effective, especially if the stains are deep.
Trays
These are one-size-fits-all trays that you can wear on your upper and/or lower teeth. Whitening trays are either already filled with a gel or require you to fill them with it.
While some of these whitening trays are effective, they may not fit everyone. It is better to receive a personalized and professional teeth whitening procedure at a trusted clinic.
LED Kits
Blue LED lights can increase the speed of teeth whitening. LED kits have trays and gels along with blue LED for better results.
So, is DIY teeth whitening safe?
This is a common question for most of our dental patients. To answer it, we can say that it is safe for superficial stains. You should go for a professional treatment if the stains are deeper.
You should also consult professionals before trying out certain DIY teeth whitening hacks. Excessive consumption of chemicals like hydrogen peroxide can harm your teeth, mouth, and body.
What Is The Professional Teeth Whitening Procedure?
The exact professional teeth whitening procedure is different for different clinics. At Magnum Clinic, our dental experts stick to the following procedure:
Getting Ready
Our procedure starts by preparing you and your teeth. Our experienced dental professionals will examine your teeth and see if you have issues like cavities or gingival tissue problems.
Our team will also do oral prophylaxis before starting the treatment. This is a deep-cleaning procedure to get rid of all plaque and tartar (if present). Teeth whitening works best when done on 100% clean teeth.
Recording The Shade
We would love for you to see the difference in your teeth after our professional teeth whitening procedure. Before the treatment starts, we will record your teeth’s shade with the help of a shade guide.
Isolating Gums And Soft Tissues
Teeth whitening is only concerned with your enamel. Before we start with the treatment, we will isolate your gums and soft oral tissues using a gingival dam. This ensures that only your tooth enamel is visible for the procedure.
The Procedure Begins
We will now begin the teeth whitening procedure. Our dental professionals use BEYOND Polus for the same. It makes the treatment speedier and more efficient.
Dentists generally apply a gel on your teeth for the procedure. They apply it on both sides of your teeth for uniform results. Dentists also protect your soft tissues and gums from bleaching using monitors.
Adding The Light Source
A light source always helps with the whitening procedure. We use LED light for the best results.
Making You Comfortable
Our teeth whitening experts ensure that you are comfortable from the get-go. We will do our best to make you feel at ease throughout the procedure. Our professionals often play soothing music to comfort you.
Removing The Gel
The procedure will end before you know it! We will remove the gel applied to your teeth using a suction device. We will also remove the gingival dam and anything else used during the procedure.
Checking The New Shade
After it’s all over, we will check the new shade of your teeth using the same teeth guide. You can now see the difference after getting whiter teeth.
DIY Vs. Professional Teeth Whitening: A Detailed Comparison
The end results of DIY and professional teeth whitening procedures are the same. It is the process that makes all the difference.
We can now compare the two options using important parameters:
Products Used
You can perform DIY teeth whitening using several different products. Common items include toothpaste, trays, strips, baking soda, charcoal, LED kits, and many more. You can buy most of these products over the counter.
Professional teeth whitening involves a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide gel, LED lights, and other professional tools. These products are more advanced and used by experts. For example, Magnum Clinic uses BEYOND Polus to whiten your teeth efficiently.
Customization
DIY whitening offers little scope for customization. Most companies manufacturing toothpaste, trays, gels, etc., follow the "one-size-fits-all" approach. Not all products work for all customers.
On the other hand, professional whitening procedures are highly customized. Your dentist will design the treatment according to your teeth’s health and color.
Professional Monitoring
Most DIY teeth whitening products are purchased and used without any professional supervision. While dentists recommend a few products, they hardly monitor how their patients use them.
Professional procedures are performed completely under expert supervision. When professionals conduct them, they ensure 100% safety for their patients.
Time Taken
If you are looking for quicker results, professional teeth whitening is the best option. Most sessions are 45 minutes long. However, at Magnum Clinic, you can get whiter teeth in no more than 20 minutes! We use the most advanced devices and digital dentistry to give you quicker and more effective results.
You will need to wait longer with DIY procedures. They may take a few weeks or even months. Moreover, you will need to stay consistent and use teeth whitening products every day for weeks to get the desired results.
Cost
If you consider one-time payments, DIY teeth whitening is cheaper than a professional procedure. However, you hardly see results with a single use of a DIY product.
While professional teeth whitening is more expensive, it gives you significant results after one session. If you add up the costs of buying multiple DIY products for several weeks, there is hardly any difference between the two options.
Side Effects
DIY products can be risky and have side effects you may not know of. Most of these teeth whitening products are used without proper supervision and might harm your teeth instead of improving them.
Professional treatments have no side effects due to clinical trials. Dentists work on their devices and procedures for a long time before treating their patients. They are much safer than most DIY options.
Severity
Minor teeth staining issues can be resolved with DIY treatments. Even dentists recommend such procedures if the problem is not that serious. However, they won’t work for deeper and long-lasting stains.
You will need professional teeth whitening for more serious problems. Using DIY products during these situations may make things worse for you. Always consult a trusted dentist before making a decision.
Comfort
It is easy to believe that DIY teeth whitening methods are more comfortable as they can be performed at home. However, this is not always the case.
No DIY product gives you immediate results. You will need to use the same product multiple times. You will be buying it multiple times from the store. Moreover, you will deal with side effects like irritation if the product does not suit you. This is much more discomforting than visiting a dentist for a quick treatment.
A professional teeth whitening procedure may require you to get out of your house but gives you instant results. You get shinier and whiter teeth in a few minutes. You also stay away from side effects as the dentist examines you beforehand.
Wrapping Up: Who Wins Between DIY And Professional Teeth Whitening?
Considering all factors, it is safe to say that professional teeth whitening is a better alternative if you can afford the procedure. It is safer, quicker, and more effective. If you have severe staining or discoloration, this is probably the only way to get whiter teeth.
Magnum Clinic welcomes you for a comfortable and effective teeth whitening procedure in Dubai. We use the latest technology and advanced teeth-whitening systems for our procedures. They give you whiter and shinier teeth in no time!
Contact us today to start your professional teeth whitening procedure designed by experts.