DIY or Professional Teeth Whitening in London: Which Should You Pick?

DIY or Professional Teeth Whitening in London: Which Should You Pick?

05 / 05 / 2015

There’s no direct health benefit from having whiter teeth, though one thing is for certain: people love them. A study published in the journal PLOS One has concluded that both men and women are initially attracted to those with a bright white smile, and additional research has also shown that white-toothed job applicants have much better chances of getting hired. White teeth can technically be considered as “ornaments,” but when it comes to specific circumstances, they can get the job done.

When it comes to teeth whitening, people have a number of options to choose from that fall under two major categories: DIY or professional teeth whitening at London clinics like the London Bridge Dental Practice. The question is: is there merit to choosing a specific method from either category?

Let’s put one popular DIY teeth whitening method under the spotlight: brushing teeth using a mixture of strawberry and baking soda. This particular approach has been made popular by countless Youtube videos, citing it as a “natural, cheap, and easy” way to brighten teeth. Scientific research, however, has revealed that the mixture doesn’t really whiten teeth; in fact, it may even weaken them.

The mixture has only ben found to remove superficial debris on the teeth, instead of produce real whitening. It’s only making teeth appear “whiter” since the plaque accumulation on the surface of the teeth is removed. True teeth whitening is something that reaches deeper down and actually breaks down stain molecules which may or may not be reachable with simple surface “scratching”.

Another DIY method, this time involving over-the-counter kits, doesn’t really help much, either. While such kits dohave an effect given the circumstances, they can have side-effects. U.K. Daily Mail contributor Anna Maxted was a good example; the frequency with which she used whitening strips eventually irritated her gums, which she chose to ignore. It was only a matter of time when she learned that the strips she’d been using contained chlorine dioxide—the same chemical used in swimming pools—which whitened teeth by literally scratching their surface.

This is where expert teeth whitening in London comes in. Overall, it’s more effective than DIY methods and one can expect quicker results (professional whitening can come up with results in as little as an hour), more thorough whitening (deep-seated stains can be reached with ease), and improved safety (dentists take extra precaution for those with special dental needs, like sensitive teeth or gums).

Taking the risk with DIY whitening isn’t worth the convenience and cheap price tag. Go with professional whitening and you’ll never go wrong.

Sources:

You Asked: What’s The Best Way To Whiten My Teeth? TIME, December 17, 2014

Do DIY Teeth Whitening Methods Really Work? LiveScience.com, October 27, 2014

Want Whiter Teeth? Fruit Mixture Is Not The Answer, Iowa Now, October 13, 2014

The Dark Side Of White Teeth: DIY Whiteners Can Be Dangerously Addictive, Cause Chemical Burns And Leave Teeth Yellower Than Before, U.K. Daily Mail, March 17, 2011

5 Advantages Of Professional Teeth Whitening, DentistInFairfaxVA.com, January 28, 2015

Whiten Teeth At Home Or In The Dentist’s Office? WebMD.com