No, face it; white teeth are pretty much the most wanted facial feature people want nowadays. Not only are white teeth a good thing to have in terms of health, but also, everybody knows they are attractive to the masses (wink, wink).
Let’s agree on this right now, everyone fancies a great smile. The question is, how desperate are you to get one, and at what cost?
Today, the consumer market has been given the option to buy its own “do it yourself†(DIY) teeth-whitening dental kits, as opposed to the traditional trip to the dentist for a procedure.
Sure, these DIY dental kits are cheaper, but are they really all they’re cut out to be? Could the saying “you get what you pay for†be relevant here?
Oh, it is, for multiple reasons, too.
To start, DYI dental kits are capable of worsening or speeding up dental issues that have not even taken place yet. This is due to bleach found in the kits. If the bleach finds its way into a canker of the mouth, it may cause great pain or initiate an infection.
On top of that, DYI kits can also cause damage to the gum line if not applied the way intended—note, this is not that hard to mess up. Because the gel-strips and trays come in the kit as one-size-fits-all, people with larger or smaller than average mouths are in trouble (there are a lot of you folks out there).
Doesn’t it seem kind of ironic that the only way to white teeth is through a sore mouth?
We agree.
Unfortunately, not only do teeth-whitening kits run the risk of harming your mouth and gum line, they also can have negative effects on your teeth—the whole reason for their application. Yikes.
In the same way everyone has different sized mouths, everyone’s mouth is also sensitive in its own way. As mentioned before, DIY kits have bleach in them. Because everyone’s sensitivity to this oral bleach varies, its producers place 10%-20% bleach concentrate in the product. Although everybody’s sensitivity typically falls somewhere between. Without this listing, customers have no idea how much they should use. This concentration is not listed on their containers.When applied, this can lead to patchy white spots. Double yikes.
Lastly, DIY kits can damage your tooth enamel, which is the defender of your teeth’s wellbeing. There are two chemicals—sodium bicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide—that can cause abrasion to the enamel. When this happens, yellow dentin is left, and this will eventually lead to pain.
So, what is the solution to white teeth if you shouldn’t do it yourself? Go ahead with tradition in this case. Go to the guy who knows what he’s doing and won’t run any risks, your dentist.