Professional in-home whitening kits aren't something you can pull off the shelf. Custom-made trays (dental trays fitted to the contour of your teeth) must be manufactured in order to ensure the whitening solution are properly distributed. Without these, a lot of the solution could be wasted or put onto areas of the mouth that may be damaged.
There are several steps to obtaining and using in-home teeth whitening kit:
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Impressions would first be taken of both your upper and lower teeth using non-toxic dental putty. These would be sent to a specialty lab to make the trays. This part of the process takes around one to two weeks from start to finish.
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In the meantime, the initial shade of your teeth would be recorded in your dental chart for comparison when the whitening is completed.
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When the trays are ready, an appointment would be set to show you how to properly dispense and apply the solution and other instructions needed to obtain the optimal results.
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Before starting the at-home procedure, you would need to brush, floss, and rinse completely.
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The procedure itself is typically performed an hour per day for two weeks, Certain brands can be worn overnight. You would need to avoid eating, drinking, or smoking while wearing the trays and continue to do the same for 30 minutes after.
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After two weeks of treatment, a follow-up appointment would be made to track your results and see how they compare to your reference shade.
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The additional whitening solution can be used for touch-ups if needed.