Why Does Teeth Whitening Fail?

Have you ever tried whitening your teeth? A lot of us have, and most of us were unhappy with the results!

Commercial teeth whitening has long been a gamble, and the results for most people simply don’t meet with expectations – especially considering the cost of some kits!

At Fox Family Dental we’ve been whitening teeth for years, and we’ve come to learn something about what works and what doesn’t. That’s why we’ve chosen KӧR deep bleaching for our patients. KӧR does a great job of avoiding the failures of typical whitening products – you’ll get reliable whitening that doesn’t let you down!

What Makes Whitening Go Wrong?

There are several reasons why over-the-counter whitening systems fail to meet the needs of most people who buy them. It’s the same problem for most every brand, so you really can’t luck out and find the “best choice” out there. None of them can match the capabilities of a professional product.

The Problem of Active Ingredients

Most whitening products contain the same active ingredient: hydrogen peroxide. While hydrogen peroxide works it needs to be treated in very particular ways. It’s commonly known that hydrogen peroxide is unstable, and most commercial kits you buy at the store have already weakened considerably.

Hydrogen peroxide works when it breaks down into oxygen and water, which causes a “scrubbing” effect that lifts stains from your teeth. Premature breakdown occurs in a number of situations, such as high temperature, exposure to light, and even exposure to saliva!

Because whitening gels break down so easy it’s unlikely you’re getting a full-strength product when you buy it. That’s why most over-the-counter kits have started using carbamide peroxide. Simply hydrogen peroxide with a bit of urea added, carbamide is a lot more stable than traditional whitening gel. But it still doesn’t eliminate the problem – there’s a lot less active ingredient in carbamide gels!

Whitening Trays That Don’t Cut the Mustard

Up above we mentioned how hydrogen peroxide breaks down in the presence of saliva, and if you think about that for just a second you can see we have a bit of a problem. When you put your whitening gel in a commercial kit tray you’re not getting a tight seal that locks out saliva. When gel and saliva mix your whitening can get weaker, look splotchy, and even fail completely!

Whitening kits you buy at the store aren’t made for your particular mouth – they’re one size fits all, and you know what that means: they don’t really fit anyone! If you’ve had a bad experience with whitening in the past then your tray was probably to blame for the failure. They’re notoriously bad at delivering results.

How Is KӧR Different?

With KӧR you’re getting a number of things that other whitening systems don’t provide. For starters, let’s talk about how KӧR beats the problem of whitening gel breakdown.

If heat, light, and saliva can cause whitening gel to turn into oxygen and water before it gets to your mouth then those three things need to be accounted for. KӧR gels are refrigerated from the moment they’re made, so temperature is never a problem. That means we – and you – can keep them fresh and effective longer. Not only does that negate problems of strength, it also eliminates issues with shelf life!

KӧR whitening also utilizes something that you simply can’t get with an over-the-counter kit: a custom fit whitening tray. When you come to our Burke office to start a whitening program you’ll be getting an impression taken of your mouth. We use that impression to craft a whitening tray that’s made just for you. Not only will these custom trays encourage an even distribution and coating of gel, but they’ll also seal your teeth off from the rest of your mouth so no saliva can get in.

The strength of our whitening gels are also unmatched by over-the-counter kits. Most carbamide peroxide kits end up with about five percent hydrogen peroxide, while the professional strength we offer with KӧR is a minimum of 16 percent – much stronger than the commercial stuff!

Get a White Smile the First Time

There are two ways you can go about teeth whitening: you can gamble with the unpredictable results of a kit from the drugstore, or you can make a whitening investment at Fox Family Dental that you know will provide results.

We’d love to help you get the smile you’ve always wanted, and we can with KӧR! Give us a call today at 703-978-5253 or request an appointment online. We look forward to seeing you soon!