Your smile is a valuable asset, and the first thing people notice about you, which explains why millions of dollars are spent every year on over-the-counter teeth whitening products. But have you ever wondered how they rate against a professional whitening treatment?
If you’ve spent any time looking at these over-the-counter products, you know that there’s an overwhelming selection of tooth whitening tray kits available in your supermarket, and they all offer quick results. But choosing a customized at-home tooth whitening kit from a qualified cosmetic dentist may be in your best interest as custom teeth whitening can prevent other potential dental issues arising as a result of the use of over-the-counter whitening agents?
A custom tray is designed specifically to minimize the contact of bleaching gel with gum tissue, but home whitening tray kits cannot provide the same custom fit obtained when using a custom made whitening tray provided by your cosmetic dentist. Trays that don’t fit properly can cause irritation when the edge of a bleaching tray rubs against the gums.
When custom bleaching trays are used, gum irritation is kept to a minimum, helping to protect you against more serious gum diseases like periodontitis and gingivitis. For this reason a custom-fit whitening tray is most important in instances where a relatively higher concentration whitener is being used. In order to provide a perfect-fitting customized tray, your Dallas Cosmetic Dentist takes an impression of your teeth. The resulting custom-made tray is trimmed so that it covers the entire surface of each tooth, falling just short of the gumline. This special contouring not only protects the sensitive gum tissue but also eliminates irritation caused by tray edges rubbing against the gum line.
The fit of a custom-molded tray from your cosmetic dentist has other advantages:
- Contact with the entire tooth surface: A uniform whitening effect is best achieved when the whitener being used remains in contact with the entire surface of a tooth.
- Proper tray retention: It’s important that the whitening tray stay in place for maximum whitening action. A custom-fabricated tray can virtually guarantee this type of fit.