One of the questions we receive regularly is about teeth whitening options.
Generally the main difference would be the strength of bleach (peroxide-based bleaching agents). In the UK the law (Cosmetics Regulation) does not allow the level of hydrogen peroxide in tooth whitening products to exceed 0.1%.
Home whitening:
Your dentist will order a special tray specifically made for the shape of your teeth and will give you instruction on how to use the tray for best results.
Only dentists are allowed to prescribe teeth whitening agents as these can be dangerous and harmful.
In office whitening:
Several studies show the difference between tray based home whitening will result in the same degree of whitening as the in “chair whitening”. However in chair whiting (or sometimes referred as the zoom teeth whitening) have been marketed in a way which may be questionable in some instances.
The bottom line is:
Ask an experienced dentist to whiten your teeth. Your dentist will use safe products with correct strength and amount of whitening agent. Home bleaching will result in a good degree of shade change and generally our patients are very happy with the result.