TEETH WHITENING AT HOME

What is home teeth whitening?

Home teeth whitening is a type of aesthetic treatment that lightens the tone of teeth enamel, eliminating stains and discolouration at home. It is carried out using personalised mouth guards made to measure the teeth of each patient.

In recent years, it has become very popular, since it is a highly economical and reliable method to whiten teeth without the need to carry out the procedure at the dental clinic.

Teeth whitening consists of placing a whitening gel inside these mouth guards, similar to that used in laser or LED lighting whitening techniques.

Since this gel is not so powerful (usually 10% or 20% of the concentrate used at appointments), the mouth guards can be worn for a long period of time, in accordance with the recommendation and planning of the dentist in each case.

On many occasions, home teeth whitening is completed with some type of whitening tooth paste, which will ensure that the process obtains more rapid results and that the final whitening will last a lot longer. 

Home teeth whitening combined with other treatments

Unlike previous treatments, home teeth whitening can be combined with other whitening methods. To obtain better results, the patient can opt for a laser or LED whitening treatment at the clinic, accompanied by the mouth guards. This will lead to a quicker result and to it being conserved for longer, without the need to visit the specialist’s clinic again.

Advantages of home teeth whitening

Home teeth whitening has gained popularity since it is comfortable and effective and since it has a lower price than methods carried out at the dental clinic. Aside from obtaining a perfect white smile, home whitening has the following advantages:

• Comfort. Home teeth whitening is the most comfortable of all, since it is the patient themselves that carry out the treatment when they desire after receiving their personalised mouth guard.
• Whitening without discomfort. Home teeth whitening does not use any type of light to activate the whitening gel components (unlike the methods involving laser rays or LED lighting). If the dentist’s guidelines are followed, there is no risk of contraindications during the treatment, such as gum discomfort or damage to dental enamel.

• Speed of the treatment. The results of this method can be seen from the first weeks, although many believe that the home teeth whitening process is much slower than that of laser rays or LED. Since teeth are exposed during a longer time to the whitening gel, the desired tone will be achieved virtually in the same period as other treatments.
• Perfect white smile. With home teeth whitening, perfect white teeth can also be obtained, which will make the patient feel better with their image and smile.
• Improve oral hygiene. The patient can wear mouth guards with the gel following a thorough scale and polish, which will progressively improve oral health and hygiene.

Phases of home teeth whitening

Although home teeth whitening is carried out at home, the patient will have to attend the clinic a couple of times before beginning the process. This is because it is necessary to carry out a study prior to the creation of the mouth guards and the specialist must explain to the patient how to carry out the treatment correctly.

1.  Firstly, they will take photos of the top and bottom arches with the latest scanning technology and 3D photography or with conventional impressions. With these measures, personalised mouth guards will be designed to fit perfectly on each tooth, keeping the whitening gel in contact with each tooth at all times.

2.  At the second appointment, when the mouth guards have already been manufactured to adapt to the patient’s teeth, the dentist will provide the instructions pending on how to carry out the treatment. Normally, the mouth guard and the whitening gel are fitted and applied for the first time at the surgery so that the process becomes completely clear.

The home teeth whitening treatment involves a greater commitment from the patient to reduce to a minimum the number of dental appointments generally provided to control the results.

If they want to obtain a whiter, more perfect smile in the period of time estimated, the patient must follow the dentist’s instructions precisely, maintaining excellent oral hygiene and avoiding bad habits that can be counterproductive to the whitening treatment, such as smoking or consuming food or drinks with high levels of sugar or colourings.