Teeth whitening is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to get your smile looking great. However, there are several different ways to whiten your teeth, and it can be difficult deciding which to chose from. We can take a look at three ways, and analyze the pros and cons of each:

1. Whitening Strips - Yes they work, but rather slowly and ineffectively. The strips are often messy and don't stay in place. The bleach concentration is also lower (because by the nature of being OTC) and as such, it takes longer to bleach (usually at least 3-4 weeks). So the bottom line is that they do work, but the price you pay is a much longer time of wearing them.



2. Custom Bleaching Trays - Custom bleaching trays are the next option. This involves taking impressions on you and having custom bleaching trays made. The bleach supplied is also a higher concentration. Custom bleach trays offer 3 main advantages: much better fit (and so much better compliance on your end in regards to wearing them), higher bleach concentrations because it comes prescribed from a dentist's office and closer adaptation of the bleaching material to your teeth and as such more effective bleaching.



3. In-Office Whitening - This will give you the quickest results. Typically we can give you 2 week's worth of results in about 2 hours. We place very strong bleach on your teeth with a barrier around your gums to protect them. You sit back, turn the lights down and watch TV for about 2 hours while we put fresh new bleach on your teeth every 15 minutes or so. If you are impatient to get whiter teeth, this is definitely the way to go. If I needed my teeth bleached today, this is the route I would take; I just don't want to wear a bleach tray and want immediate gratification.


Finding good quality dental care can be difficult. It’s helpful to find a dentist in your area that offers the latest technology and has a full staff of dental hygienists and assistants.