If you’re interested in a whiter, brighter smile, you can spend hours and money searching the stores and the internet looking for the latest over-the-counter strip or gel. But the most brilliant results are going to be achieved by investing in professional teeth whitening.

Smile Advanced Dental Center in Summerville, SC, has a range of the safest and most effective professional teeth whitening options that can produce the results — and the smile! — that you want.

Our professional teeth whitening process in Summerville, SC

Our in-office professional teeth whitening treatments utilize a powerful yet safe hydrogen peroxide gel that is applied to the surface of your teeth. When combined with high-intensity LED light, we’re able to significantly — and relatively immediately — reduce the appearance of stains, discoloration, and yellowing on the tooth enamel that’s caused by a variety of factors, including the natural aging process, subpar dental hygiene, smoking, and beverages like coffee, red wine, and tea.

One reminder: In-office whitening is not a one-and-done thing, as some might think. For the best, most lasting results, the use of custom take-home trays is recommended for about one to two weeks after the initial treatment.

The other option available for professional teeth whitening is a custom at-home kit with trays. We make an impression of your teeth to fit the trays to your mouth and, instead of the hydrogen peroxide gel used in the office, we provide a carbamide peroxide gel. Although this type of gel doesn’t whiten quite as quickly, it’s more appropriate for at-home use — in case the gel accidentally gets on the gums, cheek, or tongue. The trays are generally worn at night for about a month.

Professional versus over-the-counter teeth whitening

From an effectiveness standpoint, the biggest difference between professional and over-the-counter whitening treatments is the chemical concentration level of the whitening agent. In-office teeth whitening uses a highly concentrated product that works in as little as one hour and achieves results that no toothpaste or strips could ever come close to matching.

Professional take-home trays are also more effective than OTC trays because they perfectly fit the shape of your mouth and allow the gel to whiten every part of each tooth, including hard-to-reach crevices.

From a price standpoint, professional teeth whitening is more expensive. In general, you can expect to pay around $50 for over-the-counter whiteners — although some are more costly than that. Professional at-home whitening kits with trays average about $150 to $300, and in-office whitening averages about $400 to $700.

Because whitening is a cosmetic enhancement, it is not covered by insurance.

Special considerations for sensitive teeth

For those with sensitive teeth, we recommend professional at-home whitening kits with trays instead of in-office whitening. The trays offer a more gentle, gradual process that will decrease the likelihood of issues with sensitivity. We also have a product that we can prescribe in office to help decrease sensitivity.

Ready for a whiter smiler? Schedule an appointment with us at Smile Advanced Dental Center in Summerville, SC.