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Laser Teeth Whitening Vs. Bleaching

There are different types of teeth-whitening products available in the market today. These range from home bleaching kits to laser teeth-whitening systems that are used by qualified dentists. Such products may not help you beautify your smile if you already have tooth-colored fillings or teeth bonding.

  1. Bleaching vs Whitening

    • The FDA defines "teeth whitening" as a procedure that helps in removing the debris and the dirt on the surface of the teeth, while "teeth bleaching" is defined as whitening the teeth beyond their normal color. So, teeth-whitening products include toothpastes, while teeth-bleaching procedures mainly include carbide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide.

    Uses

    • Generally, teeth-bleaching procedures can be done at home with home whitening strips or teeth-bleaching kits. Laser teeth whitening can only be done by a qualified dentist.

    Concentration

    • Both procedures use whitening gels. However, at-home teeth-bleaching strips have a lower concentration of preloaded carbide peroxide that ranges from 10 to 25 percent, while laser teeth-whitening procedures use whiteners that have more than 45 percent of carbide peroxide.

    Procedures

    • In a laser teeth-whitening procedure, a dentist will make a mold of your teeth, which is then used to make a prescription teeth tray. Over-the-counter teeth-bleaching kits come with a mouthpiece that may or may not fit well, and this may result in gel leaking out onto the gums.

    Results

    • Since the percentage of carbide peroxide is higher in laser whitening procedures, the results are faster, can begin to be seen in an hour, and seldom need more than a few sessions. However, teeth-bleaching kits have a low percentage of carbide peroxide and require many sessions for results similar to laser whitening.

    Cost

    • Home kits that you receive from the dentist and over-the-counter teeth-bleaching kits are cheaper than laser teeth-whitening procedures. On average, laser teeth-whitening procedures can cost anywhere from $300 to $2000, while teeth-bleaching kits do not generally cost more than $50.

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