Do Home Teeth Whitening Kits Work?
You’d struggle to find anyone who doesn’t want bright, white teeth. Don’t we all? But when it comes to achieving a dazzling smile, the available options seem endless, and you may find yourself wondering: do home teeth whitening kits work?
If you take a quick scroll through social media, the chances are that you’ll be hit with a barrage of beaming, glamorous models showing off before and after results for several different products. There are gels, strips, trays, LED lights, charcoal powders—the list goes on. So how do you even begin to choose a teeth-sparkling solution you can trust?
Let’s start by looking at how these kits work on your smile.
How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
Did you know that the outer enamel layer of your teeth is primarily translucent? What truly determines the shade of your smile is actually the inner layer, known as dentin. Teeth whitening products contain one of two lightening ingredients: hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Both of these ingredients can penetrate past the enamel layer and lighten the dentin of your teeth.
The fact that this deeper penetration is required is precisely why toothpaste alone—and other trendy products such as charcoal pastes and powders—can’t actually whiten teeth. Without hydrogen peroxide, the only affected layer is the enamel. And this simply isn’t enough to break down long term stains. No matter how many influencers ‘swear by it’—a charcoal product simply doesn’t pack the necessary punch.
In fact, charcoal toothpastes can cause damage to your teeth due to how abrasive they are. As they wear down the enamel, you may find yourself stuck with permanent sensitivity and even the opposite to your original goal: discolouration. With stained or yellow teeth being one of the most common complaints amongst those who long for a better smile, turning to some of the quick-fix options that also seem too cheap to be true can do much more harm than good.
So, there’s one myth busted. But the question still remains, do home teeth whitening kits work?
Do Home Teeth Whitening Kits Work?
The short answer is, yes, they absolutely do. Among the plethora of options for at-home teeth whitening are systems that can deliver great whitening results. Whether you’ve a weakness for coffee, tea, or red wine, there are available options to tackle these stains and get you that impressive bright smile.
This is great news, but you should still take caution when selecting your teeth whitening kit. Wasting money for zero results is one thing but putting your health at risk is an even bigger one.
Are Home Teeth Whitening Kits Safe?
If your kit is endorsed by a qualified professional rather than an Instagram superstar, whitening your teeth is entirely safe. There are plenty of companies crafting teeth whitening kits that don’t have the guidance of in-house orthodontists, though, so be careful. As well as being ineffective, these options could also be potentially dangerous.
Some available options really do look quite fancy and hi-tech, boasting LED light equipment that can supposedly accelerate the whitening process. But do home teeth whitening kits work better with all types of LED light?
Unfortunately, no.
LED light is not the same as UV light, which can indeed make whitening happen faster. UV light can only be administered by a qualified dental professional, though. And some LED lights inside a home whitening kit would be about as helpful as smiling at your bedroom lamp.
So, how do we know if a kit is safe, as well as effective?
Dentist Whitening vs At-Home Kits
The regulations for professional (dentist) whitening and home whitening kits are not the same. While dentists can offer kits containing up to 6% hydrogen peroxide, an at-home whitening kit is limited to 0.1% to protect the user. Any at-home kit containing higher levels than this is potentially dangerous and could burn your gums and cause enamel loss, leading to decay.
In the United States, hydrogen peroxide limits are much higher in at-home whitening kits. So while it may be tempting to order from the US, this could have catastrophic results for your teeth. The potential burning or sensitivity caused by self-administering such a high peroxide product may have you jumping through the roof. And the possibility of unintentionally buying a counterfeit whitening product will have you wishing you’d stuck with your yellowing smile.
For safe at-home whitening, look to a low-level peroxide option.
But do home teeth whitening kits work if they contain less peroxide than their dentist-provided counterparts?
Yes, they do. If you fall into the staggeringly high percentage of adults who don’t feel confident when they smile in photos due to discoloured teeth, then an at-home whitening kit could be the key to rekindling your love for your smile.
A SmartSmileCo whitening kit contains a level of peroxide that’s both effective and, most importantly, safe for at-home use. They’re also dentist approved. Coffee-addicts rejoice!
Your Sensational New Smile
If you’re ready to take the leap, we have all you need to get started on your journey to a dazzling smile. Just like our clear aligners, our teeth whitening kits are cost-effective, convenient and create killer smiles.
When checking out our teeth whitening kits, don’t miss the chance to bag one of our SmartPens while you’re browsing—these can be used alongside our teeth whitening kit for an extra brightening boost.
Whether you want to improve your smile for your wedding day, your next company Zoom call, or even just for your bathroom mirror, you can achieve a smile worth beaming about all from the comfort of your own home with SmartSmileCo.
Get White Teeth with SmartSmileCo
Embarrassed about your yellowy teeth? Ready to rid your teeth of stains, discolouration and their seen-better-days vibe? Want to have the head-turning white smile you’ve always wanted? Start your smile rejuvenation with a SmartSmileCo dentist-approved teeth whitening kit today. And get ready for those pearly whites, the flood of compliments and that much-needed confidence boost.
