Why do you want whiter teeth? There are several reasons why whiter teeth are highly sought after today. Whiter teeth are often associated with beauty and they convey the image of a healthy lifestyle. People with whiter teeth tend to smile more and almost always have a higher self-esteem. A whiter smile can help to minimize facial wrinkles and can make you look more youthful. Chances are whiter teeth will provide a friendlier appearance and help you be more attractive to people.

With so many reasons to whiten your smile, it's only natural to find more and more teeth whitening kits available for sale. The low-cost and easy in-home use of over-the-counter tooth whitening kits have made them really popular. There's no question that home teeth whitening kits are one of the easiest ways to pursue your goal of a brighter smile. But are these tooth whitening kits as effective as visiting your dentist for professional treatment? Can the same results be achieved at home? And how long will the results last?

There are actually several solutions that you can purchase from your local pharmacy or superstore that promise whiter teeth. These include whitening toothpastes, whitening gels and teeth whitening strips. These low-cost remedies might be effective in some situations. But for the most part, only people with minimal tooth discoloration will find these treatments satisfactory. To make a really big difference in the appearance of your teeth, you'll need to move beyond these basic whitening products to teeth whitening kits.

Most teeth whitening kits have some sort of tray. The tray (usually plastic) is designed to fit your mouth. Once the tray is filled with a whitening gel, you place the tray in your mouth and the gel comes into contact with your teeth. You leave the tray on for a specified period of time and repeat the treatment daily or perhaps twice a day for several weeks. The gel is usually some sort of peroxide-based chemical agent that removes stains through the process of oxidation. Tooth whitening kits go beyond the simple polishing action of whitening toothpastes and actually penetrate your tooth enamel in order to accomplish the job.

The real question is whether these over-the-counter tooth whitening kits can achieve the same results as tooth whitening kits provided by your dentist. Although these readily available teeth whitening kits can be effective for some, there are actually several advantages to the professional products provided by your dentist.

Teeth whitening kits provided by your dentist usually have a higher strength whitening gel. Higher concentrations of peroxide are possible because your dentist will be supervising the entire procedure. Even the in-home teeth whitening kits provided by your dentist usually require several visits to his office for monitoring.

Your dentist also provides a custom-fit tray for holding the whitening gel. Your dentist will take an impression of your bite and actually create a tooth whitening kit especially for you. This custom tray will have a much better fit than the one-size-fits-all tray that you find in over-the-counter tooth whitening kits. This means there'll be better contact between the gel in your teeth and contact with your gums will be minimized. So there'll be less chance of irritating your gums or other soft tissues in your mouth. Tooth whitening kits provided by your dentist may also include some extra protective measures for your gums that aren't available in kits you can purchase locally.

One of the biggest advantages of professional teeth whitening kits is the supervision provided by your dentist. He will be able to diagnose the source of your tooth discoloration and match the treatment for the best chance of effectiveness. He can keep track of how well it works and follow up afterwards to ensure that you keep your bright smile. With tooth whitening kits that you purchase at the pharmacy, you're on your own.

The biggest advantage that locally purchased teeth whitening kits have over professional treatments is cost. Services and products provided by your dentist will be much more expensive than the home tooth whitening kits that you buy on your own. But more than likely, professional treatments will last much, much longer. If you have severe, stubborn discoloration on your teeth and your budget can afford the fees, then a visit to your dentist is recommended. But if you think you can benefit from the use of home whitening kits from your corner store, there's certainly no harm in trying.