Only Your Dentist Can Give You a White Smile

Everyone wants a brighter, whiter smile, and there are lots of options out there for you to choose from! At 1st in Smiles, we want all our patients and our neighbors in Plano, TX to know where they can get the best teeth whitening or teeth bleaching treatment: the best experience, and the best value.

In our practice, we offer in-office and take-home whitening kits. Of course, many people will wonder if there really is a benefit to getting your teeth whitened by a dentist (or under a dentist’s supervision). Aren’t there a lot of products available at stores that can do the same thing as my dentist?

Bottom line, your best whitening treatment for your dollar is dentist-supervised. Your dentist will use products that are far more effective than store-bought teeth whitening kits, and only your dentist (as well as the entire team at 1st in Smiles) have the expertise to ensure that your whitening treatment is comfortable and pleasant experience.

What’s So Bad About Store-Bought Whitening Kits?

Store-bought whitening kits are usually advertised as faster and more convenient than going to see your dentist, and that they are just as effective as the products and techniques your dentist will use, but at a much lower price point.

Sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn’t it? Let’s take a closer look to see if it holds up.

Looking For Speed and Convenience?

When it comes to speed and convenience, your dentist can get you a smile that is several shades whiter in under an hour; that’s less time than a single appointment. While you might see whitening solutions that also offers “one hour whitening” or even less, the question shouldn’t only be one of time.

If time-savings are all you’re after, why would you even whiten your teeth at all? No, the real question you should ask is “How effective is this treatment?”.

Here’s how teeth whitening works (the short version):

• Whitening gel is applied to your teeth via a whitening tray (a device that fits over your teeth and contains the gel).
• The gel contains hydrogen peroxide; the hydrogen peroxide breaks up the stains that are stuck on your teeth.

Store-Bought Whitening Trays Don’t Work!

When comparing store-bought whitening trays and the ones your dentist provides, there really is no contest: your dentist wins this one hands down.

Your dentist will provide you with whitening trays that are custom-made for your teeth; they fit over your teeth precisely. This means that when the gel is in the tray, and the tray is placed over your teeth, you get the ideal level of coverage needed to get the best result, with no risk of slippage or spilling whitening gel. The result is a more consistent whitening treatment with no missed spots. Besides wasting the whitening gel, spillage is problematic especially if you have sensitive teeth and gums. Whitening gels are powerful, and if they get somewhere in your mouth where they aren’t supposed to, a whitening gel can cause a lot of discomfort. You wouldn’t wear your trays very long if they hurt every time you wore them!

Store-bought trays, on the other hand, are not customized. They’re one-size-fits-all. One-size-fits-all works well for free t-shirts, not so much when it comes to your teeth and oral health. Store-bought trays are made to fit everyone, but they do so poorly. In other words, because they’re designed to fit everyone, they fit no one. If you have a strong gag reflex, stay away from store-bought whitening kits, because their poor fit makes them move and slip. This also makes them more prone to the spilling we talked about earlier.

Store-bought whitening trays just don’t work.

Whitening Gels: There Is a Difference!

When you buy a whitening kit at the store, you might be able to figure out how much hydrogen peroxide there is in the gel. On average, the whitening gel you get is around 10%. This is on the low-end of the gels your dentist will use. Your dentist will use a whitening gel that is up to 20% hydrogen peroxide! Only your dentist can get gels with this level of concentration, and your dentist will be able to provide you a higher level of whitening and increase your teeth’s color by several shades, even if you require a lower amount due to sensitivity.

At 1st in Smiles, we use OpalEssence Boost for our in-office treatments. OpalEssence is also available in a “take-home” form: you wear them either overnight or for just thirty minutes a day. OpalEssence comes in three flavors to make the experience even more pleasant: you can choose regular flavor, mint, or melon.

Looking for a Dazzling White Smile?

Your dentist combines superior products and equipment with expertise that you can’t buy in a box to get you the best whitening treatment for your dental dollar!

No matter how your stains got on your teeth, (coffee, cigarettes, or even certain medications) we can handle it!

In addition to $50 worth of free whitening gel for at-home touch-ups, your take-home trays are free as long as you keep up with regular dental check-ups and cleanings!

Call 1st in Smiles today! Dial 972-380-8105 to reach a member of our friendly staff and book your appointment!