When toothbrush, toothpaste, and basic oral hygiene are no longer enough to give you the shiny bright smile that you want, you resort to teeth whitening to achieve that perfect smile. Teeth whitening systems and products are becoming more and more popular these days. How often you will need whitening depends on what type of teeth whitening you use.

Professionally-Applied Teeth Whitening

Professionally-applied teeth whitening treatments are considered to be the most effective teeth whitening option. Your cosmetic dentistry practitioner specifically identifies a type of teeth whitening treatment that will work best for your teeth and the types of stains and discoloration present. Most of the time, your dentist will first clean the teeth before applying the whitening treatment. Afterwards, your white smile can last for more than a year with good oral hygiene habits. 

Out-Patient Use

Another type of professional teeth whitening systems is prescribed by dentists to be done by the patient at home. These teeth whitening systems are usually whitening gels that are placed in a mouthpiece for a specific amount of time. To be effective, you have to follow the application procedure carefully and comply with the required amount and time of application in the prescribed whitening system. As for the frequency, the whole procedure is to be done only once a year, and the results should last equally long. 

OTC Teeth Whitening

OTC teeth whitening products available for consumers today include gels, rinses, toothpaste, paint-on films, strips, and chewing gums. These products are increasingly being available on non-dental retail settings like mall kiosks, spas and salons, and even passenger cruise ships. These OTC teeth whitening treatments need to be used more often than professional ones. However, as these also contain bleaching agents, you should use them more than two weeks apart and at most twice a year.  

All of these tooth bleaching materials are usually based on either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. These teeth whitening agents can change the inherent color of the teeth. Professional, prescribed, and OTC teeth whitening systems may change the inherent color of the teeth, but there are still important considerations about safety and efficiency. You should also know that there are stains and discolorations underneath the enamel of your teeth that might no longer be removed by teeth whitening systems, no matter how frequent you apply. So, to be safe, you should apply teeth whitening systems only as prescribed by your cosmetic dentistry expert or as instructed on the label of the treatment kit that you use.