For most patients, there is little to no pain. Some may feel temporary, painful sensations for the first 24 hours. Professional treatments use potassium nitrate to block pain signals, making the procedure far more comfortable.
Choosing the best teeth whitening method for you involves evaluating between in-office treatments, custom take-home trays, and over-the-counter (OTC) whitening products based on your health, restoration, and budget. The correct choice depends on how quickly you need results and if you have had prior dental work done, e.g., crowns and veneers. In-office treatments offer immediate results, while take-home trays and OTC whitening strips take 1-2 weeks to show results. Our modern teeth whitening techniques here at Enamel Dentistry Saltillo in East Cesar Chavez offer safer, faster, and more comfortable options. In this guide, we can help you navigate choosing the perfect teeth whitening option.
Generally, your options for teeth whitening fall into three categories.
The most common surprise to patients is that whitening agents do not work on crowns or veneers. Whitening gel only works on natural teeth. If you whiten your teeth but have a crown that matches the current shade of your teeth, your smile will have all white teeth and a crown that is inconsistent with the final shade. If you are planning cosmetic work, we recommend whitening your teeth before getting a restoration. This way, the new crown or veneers can be matched to your new shade of teeth. Ultimately, if a patient has a high degree of discoloration on endodontically treated teeth, internal bleaching is applied before the placement of the veneer [2] (Galiatsatos, 2024).
Before you buy any OTC strips, it is extremely important to see a professional. A lot of our patients have surface stains that are challenging to remove. In fact, our coffee-drinking patients, like the regulars at Flat Track, often come in with surface stains that do not improve with purely OTC strips. Cosmetic treatments utilize chemicals that need to be delivered in an appropriate fashion. If you have untreated dental work, such as cavities or gum disease, using bleach on your teeth can cause extreme pain. As far as carbamide bleaching is concerned, carbamide peroxide, at different concentrations, produces similar tooth improvement [3] (Meireles et al). At Enamel Dentistry in East Cesar Chavez, we conduct a dental exam to ensure that your mouth is healthy enough for whitening. We also look for different types of discoloration, such as tetracycline staining that comes from certain antibiotics.
Before initiating whitening, we recommend exercising caution if you have sensitivity to hot or cold temperature food. Custom take-home trays are often the best choice for patients with tooth sensitivity. These allow you to go at your own pace and use lower-concentration gels. If you choose an in-office whitening treatment here at Enamel Dentistry, we routinely apply desensitizing agents to minimize post-treatment sensitivity and prevent transient nerve discomfort.
To help with your decision, we have broken down the data. This table compares cost, comfort, and durability.
Feature | In-Office Whitening | Take-Home Trays | OTC Strips |
Time | 60 minutes | 1-2 weeks | Over 1 month |
Whitening power | High | Moderate | Low |
Pain | Low | Low | High |
Durability | 1-3 years | 1-3 years | 3 months |
Cost | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
A frequent question we receive here at Enamel Dentistry is, “Am I going to have to pay for this every year?” The answer is no. Maintaining your smile costs less than the initial whitening treatment. If you opt in to have custom take-home trays, the maintenance cost is very low. They typically cost $50 for a multipack of syringes with whitening gel. Whitening toothpastes also help to remove new surface stains before they set in. Also, be sure to still go to your dental cleaning appointments so that our dental hygienists can polish the teeth to remove surface stains.
For most patients, there is little to no pain. Some may feel temporary, painful sensations for the first 24 hours. Professional treatments use potassium nitrate to block pain signals, making the procedure far more comfortable.
Yes, if you value longevity and safety. OTC may be cheaper, but you often have to buy 3-4 boxes to equal one professional treatment.
No, you should not whiten if you have cavities. The whitening gel can penetrate the nerve and cause it to decay. Cavities must be treated before whitening.
Dr. Hardik Chodavadia, DDS, provides comprehensive general and cosmetic dentistry at Enamel Dentistry in Austin, TX. With extensive clinical experience, he specializes in preventive care, gum health, restorative dentistry, and minimally invasive aesthetic treatments. He is committed to delivering safe, evidence-based solutions that keep patients comfortable and informed at every step.
[1] “Whitening.” Www.ada.org, 16 Aug. 2022, www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/whitening.
[2] Galiatsatos, P., & Galiatsatos, A. (2024). The Role of Porcelain Veneers in the Aesthetic Restoration of Discolored Endodontically Treated Teeth. Clinics and practice, 14(5), 2080–2088. https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract14050164
[3] Meireles, S. S., Fontes, S. T., Coimbra, L. A., Della Bona, Á., & Demarco, F. F. (2012). Effectiveness of different carbamide peroxide concentrations used for tooth bleaching: an in vitro study. Journal of applied oral science: revista FOB, 20(2), 186–191. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1678-77572012000200011
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