Professional bleaching: At home or better at the dentist?

Bright white teeth are desired by many. Some try to whiten their teeth by regularly using whitening toothpaste. For some, however, the possible result is not enough.

The next step would then be to have the teeth professionally whitened. This can be done either at home as "home bleaching" or at the dentist with so-called "in-office bleaching".

Both "home bleaching" and "in-office bleaching" are professional bleaching methods that have nothing in common with the use of over-the-counter bleaching agents. Experts generally advise against this, because teeth and gums can be damaged by bleaching with bleaching strips or bleaching kits from the drugstore. The same applies to bleaching with "home remedies" such as baking soda. Whitening with over-the-counter products or home remedies is inexpensive, but that is also the only advantage.

If you want to whiten your teeth and fulfill your desire to have permanently brilliant white teeth, you should always do so under the supervision of a dentist.

Professional home bleaching: How does it work?

Your dentist takes an impression and makes an individual, thin plastic splint. You fill a bleaching gel into the plastic tray, also called a bleaching tray, at home and wear the tray for a few hours a day or even overnight.

Depending on the desired degree of whitening, you apply the gel in the tray several hours a day for up to two weeks. Regular visits to the dentist for check-ups during the treatment are recommended.

Home bleaching is becoming increasingly popular as a sustainable procedure for whitening teeth. Possible side effects are temporary hypersensitivity of the teeth or irritation of the gums.

Professional in-office bleaching at the dentist: What can you expect?

If you prefer to have your teeth whitened directly at the dentist, you can choose the so-called in-office bleaching. One advantage is that the result is immediately visible because the dentist can use highly concentrated bleaching agents in his office. Compared to home bleaching, however, the teeth usually darken more quickly.

With in-office bleaching, a professional teeth cleaning is first performed to thoroughly remove tartar and discoloration. For the actual bleaching, the first step is to carefully cover the gums with a foil to avoid irritation from the highly concentrated bleaching agent. Then, the bleaching agent is applied directly to the teeth. UV light or laser can be used to accelerate the bleaching process. In technical jargon, this is then referred to as power bleaching. The dentist monitors the progress of the bleaching very closely and thus determines the application time individually. One session lasts approximately two to three hours. Sometimes several sessions are necessary to achieve the desired whitening.

Known side effects are, as with home bleaching, a temporary sensitivity of the gums and teeth.

Both home bleaching and in-office bleaching cost several hundred euros. You will then have gleaming white teeth for about two to three years, with home bleaching the effect can last even longer.