Everyone wants whiter teeth, right? A white, bright, healthy smile can improve not only your looks, but also your attitude. If you feel great about smiling, you’ll smile more often, and if you smile more often, you’ll feel naturally happier and brighten the lives of those around you. Although there are multiple ways to whiten your teeth at home, there are a few very good reasons you should consider getting your teeth whitened at the dentist instead.

#1: It’s Better for Your Teeth

There are numerous methods to whiten your teeth that you can buy at a pharmacy or online. You can try anything from daily whitening toothpaste and whitening gels to strips and special kits. However, only a dentist knows the true state of your gums and your tooth enamel. Store-bought kits can cause gum irritation, sensitivity, pain, and tooth pulp damage. Long-term use can even erode the tooth enamel.

#2: It’s Better for Your Health

At-home whitening kits contain peroxide and other chemicals that can cause adverse reactions to those with allergies or sensitivities to chemicals—not to mention the lack of professional supervision, which can lead to ingestion of the product or tooth damage. At-home kits can even react to prescription drugs you are taking, so you should always at least discuss the use of these products with a dental or health professional before trying them out.

#3: You’ll Get Whiter Teeth

Perhaps the one reason that most people whiten teeth in a dentist chair rather than at home is the result. Due to their lower strength of ingredients and application method, at home kits just won’t give you the same results as you get with a professional cleaning and teeth whitening from a dentist. A dentist can make sure that you get an even, safe, and long-lasting whitening treatment with little to no adverse effects.

For more information about tooth whitening or your dental health in general, be sure to contact us!