At our Arlington Heights, IL dentist office, we provide professional cosmetic dentistry services including teeth whitening for discolored teeth. Professional teeth whitening is a great way to whiten and brighten your smile, guaranteeing an end result that you will love. Many patients often ask us about the differences between professional teeth whitening services and over-the-counter whitening products. Learn more about these differences below:
Over-The-Counter Teeth Whitening
Over-the-counter teeth whitening products are designed to be a one-size-fits-all approach to your dental care. While this may work for some smiles, it will not work for others. Patients should consider the needs of their smiles before purchasing over-the-counter products. If you have misshapen teeth, larger teeth, missing teeth, gaps, or anything else that makes your smile unique, the over-the-counter products may not work for you. Instead, patients may get a blotchy or inconsistent result because the whitening gel was unable to coat all of their teeth evenly. With professional teeth whitening, your whitening experience is tailored to you and your smile. We use impressions of your own dental structures to create whitening trays that will thoroughly and evenly coat each tooth.
Dental Sensitivity
A common complaint about over-the-counter teeth whitening kits is that they cause increased dental sensitivity during or after treatment. This is because the whitening kits contain a standard amount of bleaching gel that is once again designed to be a one-size-fits-all approach to dentistry. For patients who are more prone to dental sensitivity, this can make for an uncomfortable whitening experience. With professional teeth whitening, your doctor will be able to adjust the intensity of the whitening gel to meet your needs. You will also have a dental professional monitoring your whitening experience to ensure that you remain comfortable while still getting the whitened results that you want.
Schedule An Appointment
Perhaps one of the things people enjoy about over-the-counter teeth whitening is that they are able to whiten their smiles from the comfort of their homes. Luckily, our office offers in-office and at-home whitening kits that offer the same professional, controlled results. Ready to whiten and brighten your smile? Consider scheduling a professional teeth whitening appointment with Dr. Engelberg by calling us at (847) 230-9703 today.