If you’re looking for a way to enhance your smile to look great in all your summer photos, you might feel inspired to whiten your teeth. Before you head to the internet to order a DIY kit or to the store for some whitening strips, we encourage you to read the rest of this blog first.
1. Results Aren’t Predictable
The first reason why you should skip OTC whitening products is that their results are not at all predictable. The box might show you a before and after example of how the product helped whiten someone’s teeth, but this doesn’t mean these will be your results. For all you know, they photoshopped the photo to make the teeth look whiter.
Whether you go with strips, a gel, or toothpaste, there is no way to predict what your results look like. You risk the chance of having random white spots on all of your teeth or ending up with teeth that don’t change color in any way. Without a dentist there to determine what type of whitening treatment you need to address your stains, you won’t know what your teeth will look like after the end of your treatment.
In addition, if you have restorations such as veneers, crowns, inlays, onlays, or fillings, these will not change color with whitening products. This oversight could cause some of your teeth to end up as different colors as others.
At the end of the day, if you care about the results of your whitening treatment, you won’t waste your time or money on OTC whitening products.
2. They Can Damage Your Teeth
Another reason why you should skip OTC whitening products is that they can damage your teeth. For instance, charcoal toothpaste claims to whiten your teeth, but what it really does is scrub away your enamel. Your enamel can’t be replaced and once it’s damaged, it’s gone. Using teeth whitening products for too long can also damage your enamel. If they’re placed on your gums, it can cause damage to your gums and even gum recession. Just remember, once you damage your teeth, the only way to fix them is with a dentist’s help.
Isn’t it better to skip the damage and visit your Butler dentist to enhance your smile instead? We think so!
3. Tooth Sensitivity is Likely
If you’ve never whitened your teeth, you might not know how they respond to the treatment. Some people don’t experience sensitivity following treatment but the large majority do. When you visit the dentist for professional whitening, typically they will choose a specific type of whitening treatment that doesn’t have sensitivity side effects or will give you specific instructions to avoid sensitivity. When you use a random OTC whitening treatment, you can end up with severe tooth sensitivity. This can cause your teeth to feel achy and make eating or drinking anything too cold or too hot incredibly uncomfortable.
If you don’t want to deal with tooth sensitivity, skip OTC treatments and visit your Butler, PA cosmetic dentist instead.
Get Professional Teeth Whitening in Butler, PA Today
If you want to whiten your teeth and achieve beautiful results, don’t waste your time and money on OTC products. Our cosmetic dentist in Butler, PA is here to help with LUMIBRITE professional teeth whitening. We offer both in-house and take-home teeth whitening treatments.
Please call our dental office at (724) 282-4436 to book an appointment today.
