Having bright white teeth can completely change how others perceive you, and people that have a stain-free smile are often thought of as being more attractive, smarter, and wealthier. White teeth can also make you look up to five years younger. It’s safe to say that your teeth play a huge part in your overall appearance.
Many people have come to realize the importance of having a healthy smile is to their everyday life, which is why teeth whitening procedures have surged in popularity. It isn’t just us everyday folk that have jumped on the teeth whitening bandwagon, celebrities and influencers can be seen all over social media plugging teeth whitening kits.
While at-home teeth whitening kits are appealing due to their convenience and low cost, they simply can’t compare to the result you’ll get from a professional teeth whitening treatment. Here are all the reasons you should always opt to get your teeth whitened by a professional.
Cost-Savings Myth
While the short-term costs of at-home teeth whitening kits appear to be a lot less than professional treatments, in the long run they can actually end up costing you a lot more. At-home kits typically don’t work as well and require substantially more applications to get the same results.
There’s simply no quick (or cheap) fix when it comes to teeth whitening.
The Risks of Getting Sick
At-home teeth whitening products that involve the use of a mouthguard can actually make you physically ill. Mouthguards that don’t fit properly can cause leakages to happen when you put the bleaching gel inside. As you can imagine, swallowing bleach doesn’t do your body any favours.
Depending on the amount of bleach ingested, you could end up with chemical burns in your gut, stomach, and throat. No thanks!
Chemical Burns and Mouth Infections
Staying on the topic of chemical burns, ill-fitting mouth guards can also leak out into your mouth and compromise its state. Once parts of your mouth have been burned, they are left exposed, and bacteria can easily get in, which can ultimately lead to infection.
The likelihood of a mouth infection occurring is much higher for people that don’t keep up with their daily dental hygiene regimen, but even the potential of this happening makes at-home whitening kits a no-no.
Eroding Enamel
Enamel is a hard, mineralized substance that covers the outer layer of your teeth. It protects your teeth from decay, and once it is destroyed, it cannot be regenerated. Eroding enamel can be detrimental to tooth health, and unfortunately, some at-home teeth whitening products do just that.
Teeth whitening strips that contain chlorine dioxide, which is the same acid that’s used to disinfect swimming pools, whiten teeth by eating away at your enamel. This can significantly increase your risk of tooth decay, so stay far away!
Damaged Gums
Gums play an important part in your oral health, but a lot of people often overlook the significance of this soft tissue. Your gums are there to cover the bones of your teeth, support the bones, and act as a barrier against bacteria. Sadly, some at-home whitening kits contain such high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide that they put your gum health at risk.
Any at-home teeth whitening kits that contain more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide can cause your soft tissue to burn or cause permanent gum recession. The exposed gums that you’re left with can result in tooth loss, which is the last thing anyone looking to improve their smile wants.
Why Bond Street Dental Implants
At Bond Street Dental Implants Toronto, we offer professional teeth whitening services that can whiten teeth up to 3-4 shades in just one hour. With our advanced teeth whitening technology and experienced whitening experts, you can rest easy knowing your teeth will be well taken care of.
We also specialize in a number of other cosmetic dentistry procedures, some of which include dental implants, all on 4 dental implants, and bone grafting. Contact us today to get the best teeth whitening and cosmetic dentistry services in the GTA.