{"id":172,"date":"2023-06-15T07:47:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T07:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gannettdrivedental.com\/blog\/?p=172"},"modified":"2025-11-11T22:45:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T22:45:04","slug":"dangers-of-store-bought-teeth-whitening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gannettdrivedental.com\/blog\/dangers-of-store-bought-teeth-whitening\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dangers of Overusing Store-Bought Teeth Whitening"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannettdrivedental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/AdobeStock_107772629__1___1689666219_33296.jpg\" alt=\"someone putting on a whitening strip\" class=\"wp-image-173\" style=\"width:300px;height:200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannettdrivedental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/AdobeStock_107772629__1___1689666219_33296.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.gannettdrivedental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/AdobeStock_107772629__1___1689666219_33296-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.gannettdrivedental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/AdobeStock_107772629__1___1689666219_33296-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Just about everyone wishes that their smile was a little bit whiter. If you have a coffee habit, a smoking problem, or have just started to see your teeth discolor as you\u2019ve aged, you may have looked into getting a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gannettdrivedental.com\/teeth-whitening.html\">whitening kit<\/a> that can help your smile shine again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have also noticed that there\u2019s no shortage of over-the-counter teeth whitening solutions at your local pharmacy. However, using\u2014and especially overusing\u2014these products can produce serious problems. Here\u2019s more information about why that is, and what to do instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening Be a Problem?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The kinds of whitening kits you\u2019re likely to find at the store tend to be fairly ineffective. Part of this has to do with one-size-fits-all whitening trays that lead to streaky results. There\u2019s also the fact that the bleaching solutions are heavily diluted in order to be safe enough for the average person to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, this can produce the opposite effect. When people notice that these whitening kits aren\u2019t giving them the results they\u2019d like, they tend to use them for longer than directed in order to get results. This leads to another problem, where the whitening solution penetrates too deep into the tooth and causes significant discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The risk of this happening is dramatically higher if you have tooth decay or, worse, an untreated cavity. Without a dentist in the mix to help you, you can\u2019t really be sure whether your teeth are healthy enough for whitening treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Merits of Professional Tooth Whitening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For these reasons, it\u2019s a good idea to get professional teeth whitening from a dentist that offers it if you want a whiter smile. First of all, they\u2019ll be able to perform a thorough exam before even beginning the treatment to ensure you\u2019re healthy enough for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019ll also be able to use much stronger whitening solutions than what you\u2019ll find at the pharmacy but will be able to adjust it so that you experience minimal sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At Gannett Drive Dental, patients can achieve straighter smiles with Invisalign clear aligners. Dr. Gagnon and our skilled team provide customized orthodontic plans designed to deliver lasting results. With personalized care and advanced technology, our practice helps patients transform their smiles comfortably and effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Call us at (207) 253-5600 or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gannettdrivedental.com\/contact.html\">request an appointment online<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just about everyone wishes that their smile was a little bit whiter. If you have a coffee habit, a smoking problem, or have just started to see your teeth discolor as you\u2019ve aged, you may have looked into getting a whitening kit that can help your smile shine again. You may have also noticed that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Overusing Store-Bought Teeth Whitening | Gannett Drive Dental<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Teeth whitening seems really appealing, which has led to a market for store-bought whitening kits. 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