Benefits of Take-Home Whitening Trays

If you’re considering whitening your teeth but you don’t want to pay the full price of a professional in-office whitening, you’ll want to look into take-home whitening trays. Many patients like you find these trays to be exceptionally useful in achieving professional results. Our dentists at Chester Family Dentistry like to give this option to our patients because we know affordability and convenience are important to you. 

Take-home whitening trays are custom-fitted trays you can obtain from your dentist. They contain hydrogen peroxide or carbamide as a whitening agent. Custom take-home whitening trays come with many benefits. Here are but a few. 

Affordability

In-office dental whitening is optimal for achieving the most precise results; however, we must admit the price might deter you from coming in for a session. Take-home whitening trays are a great way to have professional-level results, while staying in your budget. You can easily save a few hundred dollars on take-home whitening trays. 

Convenience

Apart from saving money, using take-home whitening trays are more convenient if you want to save on time and trips to the dentist. In-office whitening usually requires you to make several appointments with your dentist. The take-home treatment can be done in just a few visits.

To obtain take-home whitening trays, you must make an appointment so your dentist can make an impression of your teeth. Your dentist sends this impression to a dental lab where specialists create the right trays for you in about a week or two. 

You then go in for a follow-up appointment to receive your trays (one for your top and one for your bottom teeth). Your dentist provides instructions on how to use your take-home whitening trays to ensure the best results. 

After a couple of weeks, you may go in for your last appointment where your dentist can examine how the treatment worked, and if you need any ‘touching up.’ 

Better results than over-the-counter options

You might be wondering about a third option. Custom whitening trays are more expensive than over-the-counter whitening trays you can obtain from your local pharmacy. We don’t recommend you use these over-the-counter trays because they aren’t as effective as custom trays. 

While custom trays are fitted perfectly for your teeth, over-the-counter trays are not, which can cause the whitening solution to spill into your gums. This can irritate your gums, and cause complications if you have pre-existing dental issues. The peroxide can be toxic if it reaches the interior of your tooth. In addition, the solution won’t treat your teeth evenly. 

When you get custom whitening trays, your dentist examines your teeth for dental issues during your first appointment. If they detect something, they can treat it before you undergo a whitening treatment. If a touch-up is needed during your last follow up appointment, your dentist can fix any spots your tray may have missed. After your treatment with custom whitening trays, you should have a clean and even finish. 

Quick results

The take-home treatment only takes a couple of weeks. During your first appointment, your dentist records the exact shade of your teeth. When you get your take-home whitening trays, you only need to wear them for up to four hours every day for two weeks. During your last appointment, your dentist will compare your whitened teeth with the previous shade.

Helpful tips

To achieve the best results during your take-home treatment:

• Brush, floss, and rinse your mouth a few times before applying the tray to your teeth
• Avoid eating, drinking, or smoking while wearing the trays and refrain from these activities 30 minutes after taking off the trays

Tips for after the treatment:

• Continue brushing your teeth twice a day
• Floss daily
• Avoid foods and drinks that stain your teeth
• Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco
• Schedule regular cleaning appointments

To schedule a consultation with Chester Family Dentistry, please call our office or book online.