There’s a good reason that actors and politicians tend to get teeth whitening. A bright, white smile makes you look healthier, younger, and more attractive. Look at a yellowed, dark smile, and chances are you’ll be wondering what they did to their teeth. Look at a white smile, and chances are you’ll be more interested in talking to that person. That’s how powerful a bright smile can be.
Teeth whitening used to be reserved for the wealthy and powerful. That’s because it used to be expensive. These days, cosmetic dentistry has changed. You can get all kinds of teeth whitening kits in the store. However, many of these store-bought kits simply do not do the job well. At both our Bridgeport/Trumbull and Shelton, CT dental offices, we offer Zoom teeth whitening instead. Here are several reasons why.
How Store-Bought Teeth Whitening Comes Up Short
- The whitening agent is weak on purpose. Normally, you cannot buy something as strong as teeth whitening without a dentist’s prescription. The FDA limits this like any chemical. So how can you buy a teeth whitening kit in the store? The manufacturers make the whitening agent so weak, the FDA does care anymore. This “loophole” allows teeth whitening without a prescription. The downside is that your results can be much less than if you went with professional teeth whitening. You often have to use the same store-bought kit over and over again to get the same results.
- Using it too much can lead to tooth sensitivity. The enamel on your teeth is a little porous. Each time you get teeth whitening, some of that whitening agent will seep into your teeth. When you try store-bought teeth whitening kits, you often have to use them repeatedly. This can lead to temperature sensitivity in your teeth where drinking hot coffee or iced tea could actually cause you pain.
- You’ll have to follow instructions accurately to get it right. You probably have had at least one bad experience with instructions that came in a box of something. Putting together a desk or table following a flimsy page of hard-to-read instructions can be frustrating. Worse, it’s not hard to make a mistake. That can be true with many store-bought teeth whitening kits as well. Some come with complicated instructions that you really need to follow exactly. A mistake could mean some teeth will look whiter than others.
- Some have abrasives that can damage your teeth. Because the whitening agent in store-bought kits is purposefully made weak, some try to make up for that with strong abrasives. The idea is to scrape away the stains on your enamel using something similar to very fine sand. This can work. It can also take away part of your enamel right along with those stains. Think of removing stains on your wall using sandpaper. Sure, the stain is eventually gone — and your wall now has a weak spot in it.
- You can irritate your gum tissue. The whitening agent in any teeth whitening system can hurt your gums. It’s designed to remove stains from tough enamel, not soft gum tissue. Because you will be doing this all by yourself, there’s a chance that you’ll accidentally leave some of this on your gums. Again, these store-bought teeth whitening kits often need to be done repeatedly to get your teeth truly white. That means there are more opportunities to hurt your gums.
Why Zoom Teeth Whitening Works Much Better
- Only dentists can provide professional-strength teeth whitening. The FDA limits full-strength teeth whitening to dentists. By coming in to get Zoom teeth whitening at either of our Connecticut locations, you can finally get your teeth truly white. Isn’t that what you wanted all along?
- Zoom can be done in either of our Connecticut offices. Because the whitening agent is stronger, you can get your teeth many shades whiter with just a few short visits, usually only 15 minutes or so. Our dental team will carefully apply the whitening gel to make sure it’s applied correctly and safely.
- The take-home version already has the gel in the trays. There is a take-home version of Zoom teeth whitening. These feature trays preloaded with the right amount of whitening gel. You simply place them over your teeth over the course of several weeks.
- There are no harsh abrasives to damage enamel. Zoom has the professional-strength whitening agent, so it does not need any harsh abrasives to scrape away stains. Instead, stains are gently lifted to get your teeth back to how they should look.
If you are ready to get a bright, white smile, contact either of our two Connecticut offices — Bridgeport/Trumbull at 203-372-1220 or Shelton at 203-378-9737 or use our online tool to book an appointment.