Generally, professional teeth whitening means getting your teeth whitened by a dentist. It is a popular choice for teeth whitening but it can also be an expensive one. Dentists that use mouth trays and bleaching gel to whiten teeth will require several visits to complete the process. Dentists who use one of the laser teeth whitening systems usually complete their teeth whitening treatments in just one session, but that session can cost $1,000 or more.
Many people talk the process over with their dentist and then proceed with a program that the dentist devises but is conducted, for the most part, at home. This process isn’t quick like the laser treatments offered today but can be just as effective. The first step is a trip to the dentist’s office to have a mouth tray custom made to fit around your teeth. This tray is meant to hold the gel containing the bleaching agent that will whiten your teeth.
The dentist will supply you with tubes of dental bleach to go with your tray, and instructions on how to use it. Generally the at-home process requires putting the gel in the tray and then fitting the tray into your mouth so that your teeth are in contact with the bleaching gel and your gums are not. These sessions last one to two hours and are conducted on a daily basis. In some cases, your dentist may ask you to use the tray overnight.
After a one to two week stretch of these treatments you’ll return to the dentist’s office for an inspection of the progress. This method of teeth whitening is among the most effective if done properly. It uses lower levels of bleach than the one-shot laser treatments, but it exposes the teeth to the bleaching process for much longer periods of time. It is a slow but thorough procedure.
There are storefronts and kiosks in the shopping malls today that offer $99, one hour teeth whitening treatments. It would be a stretch to call these operations professional teeth whitening providers. The people that staff them have minimal training and the results will be less than spectacular. In addition, the teeth whitening effect is short lived. You’ll be going back for another treatment within several weeks.