Comparing the Zoom!® System to At-Home Whitening Treatments
October 24, 2016
You have likely seen or heard several advertisements touting the benefits of teeth whitening treatments that you can buy at your local pharmacy or supermarket. Everyone wants to have a white, bright and beaming smile, yet are these at-home treatments really effective at helping you achieve that? Dental providers like Dr. Breiterman offer professional whitening treatments that are delivered right here in our office, yet proponents of the store-bought brands would have you believe that such products produce the same results at a fraction of the price.
So which side is correct? There is an old adage that states “You get what you pay for,” and when it comes to tooth whitening treatments, it holds true. While professional treatments done under the supervision of a dentist may be more expensive, they have been proven to deliver results that are much clearer and last longer than alternatives. You may view this claim to be a bit biased coming from a dental practitioner, yet there is plenty of evidence to back it up.
The Benefits of Professional Treatments
The reasons why professional whitening systems (such as the Zoom!® treatment that we offer) perform better than at-home treatments include:
- Customization: Store-bought systems usually come in a “one-size-fits-all” package. Unfortunately, the dimensions of your dental structure are unique. Poor fitting whitening trays can lead to gum irritation, whereas the custom tray prepared in your dentist’s office is designed to fit your teeth perfectly.
- Added protection: During a professional whitening treatment, your dentist has tools to help protect your gums and the other surrounding tissues from the materials being used. At-home treatments offer no such additional protection.
- Efficiency: Because store-bought treatments cannot off any additional protection, the concentration of bleaching agents used cannot be nearly as strong as those your dentist uses. By way of comparison, the agents used in professional treatments typically have hydrogen peroxide concentrations between 15-40 percent, whereas at-home treatments rarely exceed 3 percent.
You truly cannot put a price on a healthy looking smile. Using the Zoom!® professional whitening system, Dr. Breiterman can deliver results that no at-home treatment could never even hope to achieve. For questions about the how this treatment works or its costs, please contact us here at Advanced Dental Techniques at any time.