"In-office," or what is sometimes called, "chairside bleaching," is done by your dentist. Tooth whitening techniques used by the dentist speed up the process and can result in whiter teeth in as little as one hour.

The first step your dentist takes is to put a rubber shield around your gums before she "paints" a whitening bleach agent containing hydrogen peroxide, in concentrations ranging from 15 to 43 percent, onto your teeth. Instead or, or in addition to, painting the bleaching agent directly onto your teeth, some dentists will fill a dental tray - that looks like a mouth guard - with the gel-like bleaching solution.

Whichever procedure is used, the whitening product stays applied directly to your teeth for a period of 30 to 60 minutes.

When you see a dentist, tooth whitening procedures can also involve heat, a special light, and/or a laser. The light and/or heat accelerate the whitening process so that you may have noticeably whiter teeth from only one treatment.

For dentist tooth whitening that does not use heat or laser light, such dramatic results may not be seen right away and several appointments may be needed depending on the degree of staining and desired level of whitening.

What Are The Benefits To In-Office Treatments?

Your dentist can determine whether you are a good candidate for tooth whitening. She will, more than likely, give you an oral examination and match the type of stain on your teeth with the best treatment, determining whether laser plus heat or laser alone or neither additional procedure will do the job.

Also, with a dentist, tooth whitening side effects such as irritated gums and sensitive teeth can be monitored and corrections offered on the spot and, generally check on how the teeth whitening process is proceeding

An Alternative To At-The-Dentist Tooth Whitening Procedures

In-office bleaching procedures can range in cost from $500 to $1,500 for the whole mouth but you can often find a discount dental plan that will cover cosmetic procedures. Look for one with our dentist referral service.

Or, you many be one of the many people who will elect to do their teeth whitening at home either under the supervision of their own dentist or by purchasing a teeth whitening system directly from a dentist online.

You might choose this option since the costs are lower and the results are very good due to several factors. In fact, Dr. Harold Katz, DDS reveals why purchasing an at-home teeth whitening system directly form a dentist online can be the best choice for savings coast and getting the best product available.

It's now possible (in almost all cases) to achieve "dental office" quality teeth whitening  from the comfort of your own home and with complete safety!

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• At- Home Teeth Whitening Works!- Dentist reveals how at-home teeth whitening systems get your teeth just as White as his in-office system!

• "Dental Bleaching Requires Keeping Up The Shine!" - Teeth whitening is not permanent whether you have used the at-home method of teeth whitening or had your dentist paint your teeth in the office.