Over time, natural tooth whiteness can change and teeth can become yellowish. The consumption of staining beverages, such as coffee, tea, or red wine, contributes to this. To regain or maintain a radiant smile, there are various options available today. In today's article, we present two popular methods: bleaching and tooth whitening, and share a customer story.
Similarities and differences between teeth whitening and bleaching
For the layperson, the terms whitening and bleaching sound, at first hearing, as if there are no significant differences in application aside from the language. This is not the case. The basic idea is the same and there are overlaps, but the paths to the dream smile are still different.
Both methods are considered cosmetic treatments. Therefore, neither whitening nor bleaching costs are covered by health insurance. Bleaching at the dentist can cost up to 850 euros per appointment, depending on preparation effort, material consumption, and treatment time. For at-home teeth whitening, you pay a one-time fee of 90 to 210 euros and have ongoing material costs depending on the frequency of use.
Both methods also rely on peroxides as active ingredients. However, the crucial difference lies in the concentration. While products for home use (teeth whitening) may contain a maximum of 0.1 percent hydrogen peroxide, the dentist works with 15 to 35 percent active ingredient paste.
In bleaching, the active ingredient paste contains 15 to 35 percent hydrogen peroxide, while tooth whitening only contains 0.1 percent. This is why tooth bleaching should only be repeated every 2 to 3 years, whereas home use with tooth whitening systems can be applied indefinitely.
Customer Story: The Transition from Dentist Bleaching to At-Home Teeth Whitening
At this point, we share a story from a customer. She discovered teeth whitening for herself in 2018, after having attended several bleaching appointments with her dentist beforehand.
After an extensive testing phase of the OnlySmile® teeth whitening system, she reports that she has fewer problems with sensitive teeth and especially appreciates the flexibility that home application allows her. She usually applies the teeth whitening as needed every 3 to 4 weeks and brushes her teeth with the whitening powder in preparation.
It took her 3 applications before she saw the first results. However, she is now so satisfied with her teeth that she no longer goes for bleaching.
Conclusion
With a whitening kit for home use, the treatment frequency can be controlled independently. Unlike bleaching, there is also no maximum number of applications here. The method is also more cost-effective and time-saving, and overall less risky. However, it may be that results are only visible after several applications. With bleaching, you usually notice a clear whitening of the teeth after the first application.
To try teeth whitening for yourself, we recommend our OnlySmile® Teeth Whitening KitHere is everything you need for the application, and you can get started right away!
The cosmetic teeth whitening with OnlySmile® is simple, safe, and painless.
Author: Beatrix Eckhard (blogguru.de)
Photo: shutterstock – Dean Drobot, OnlySmile