With the number of products and services that results in whiter teeth, people become confused with what to choose. These products and dental procedures differ in cost and pace in providing results. While the products used to be strictly classified with professional and home use, nowadays, products that are of the ?professional use? quality are now in the market. These products provide results closer to the professional dental treatment compared with the ?home use? products like toothpastes.

If you are more into fast results, the advised dental procedure is chairside teeth whitening. It is usually performed at a dentist's office. Also called teeth bleaching, this provides results in about an hour. The difference that can be seen in the result within an hour is four to six shades lighter, which depends on every individual.

Below are some facts that describe how it works.

-- Bleaching is performed with the use of a product that contains 15% to 35% of hydrogen peroxide in gel formula. Before this treatment is started, the gums are protected with a gel (some use a dental dam) that shields the soft gum tissues. After this, the dentist will apply to the teeth the hydrogen peroxide gel. To increase the whitening effect, a laser or a special light (of the same purpose as a laser) can be used. After a while, the gel is rinsed off. The application of protective gel and whitening agent is repeated several times. Right after the treatment, you will notice the impact of your teeth's new shade to your appearance. This treatment provides a ?natural white teeth? result, in just about an hour.

-- In case you have white fillings, it is advised that you replace them with a shade that does not go against the shade of your teeth after bleaching.

After the procedure, you might notice that your teeth sensitivity has increased. This is to be expected and is a natural reaction of your teeth after the treatment. The degree of teeth sensitivity however varies from one person to another. Nonetheless, the sensitivity will disappear within 24 hours after the treatment.

The advantage of an in-office whitening treatment is that you, as the patient, are sure that only your teeth will get in contact with the hydrogen peroxide. Also, with the dentist performing the treatment, he or she will know if the teeth in contact with the agent can still take another round of the treatment.

Before deciding, it is important that you consult with your dentist. Also, visit your dentist for check up and cleaning. It is only after these two procedures that your dentist can decide and advise you if you need a teeth whitening treatment. Your dentist will also advise you with what type of treatment is going to work best for you considering your current oral health.