I have a Groupon for Premium Home Whitening. Does it work? If so, is there anything I need to know before trying it?
Penelope
Dear Penelope,
Looking at the main ingredient, which is 35% carbamide peroxide. This whitening agent will work. That part works in your favor. Here are the only concerns I have.
- The cold blue light. I don’t think that will do anything to accelerate the whitening. You’re paying for nothing there.
- The trays. While the teeth whitening trays your dentist makes for you are custom-fitted to your bite, the ones you get with this kit will not fit precisely. Instead, there will be gaps. This means three things:
- First, the whitening agent will leak, giving you less strength.
- Second, saliva will seep into the trays weakening the gel that is there, again giving you less strength. Both of these issues mean you will need significantly more kits to get the same amount of whitening effectiveness as you would with your dentist.
- You are at greater risk for gum irritation. Some patients who’ve done kits similar to this one without professional supervision ended up needing a root canal treatment.
If the price is the reason you are considering this, it is not that much of a discount, especially if you have to use several. I suggest just talking to your dentist. Tell him you were offered this kit and if he can come down on his price just a smidge, you’d rather pay him. Most dentists would do that.
This blog is brought to you by Des Moines Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Phelan Thomas.