What About Over-The-Counter Options?

Both at-home and in-office treatments are considerably more effective than the whiteners available at retail. The over-the-counter products have much lower concentrations of bleach and sometimes use materials and ill-fitting trays that can cause damage to the teeth and gums. If you decide to use them use established brand names. Avoid (think plague) sensational internet ads with often faked testimonials carefully crafted to attack attention. Remember this is your health and your smile and disasters are painful and costly.

There are some reputable brands such as Crest-White-Strips. These operate with adhesive strips with a whitening gel incorporated into them. A additional drawback is that some over-the-counter (OTC) products only cover the front teeth leaving the side teeth dark and showing when smiling.

The drawback to these is “ease-of -use” vs. cost. Also–the teeth MUST be carefully assesssed prior to use with consideration of decay, hidden “between-th-teeth” decay, gum recession and periodontal disease.