Every month someone shows us a whitening product they bought online and asks whether it is safe. Some are fine, some are useless and a few are actively harmful. Here is the honest comparison.
First, why teeth get yellow
Surface stains from tea, coffee, tobacco and paan sit on the enamel and come off with a professional cleaning — no bleaching needed. Deeper yellowing is the natural colour of the dentine showing through enamel that thins with age. Only actual bleaching (hydrogen or carbamide peroxide) changes that. Greyish discolouration from a dead tooth or old antibiotics responds poorly to any whitening and may need a veneer or crown instead.
In-clinic professional whitening
We protect your gums, apply a high-concentration peroxide gel and activate it, usually over about an hour. You typically see several shades of improvement in one sitting. Because we control the concentration and the gum protection, it is the safest way to get a significant change quickly. Some temporary sensitivity for a day or two is normal.
Dentist-supervised home whitening
Custom trays made from a mould of your teeth, plus a lower-strength gel worn for a set time daily over one to two weeks. Slower, more economical, and excellent for maintaining an in-clinic result. The custom fit is what makes it work — the gel stays on the teeth and off the gums.
Over-the-counter strips and kits
Reputable strips do contain a low dose of peroxide and can lighten mild staining a shade or two. Generic one-size trays leak gel onto gums and cause irritation. LED-light kits sold online mostly rely on the gel, not the light. Charcoal powders and “whitening” toothpastes are abrasive — they remove surface stain but also scratch enamel over time, which eventually makes teeth look duller, not brighter.
What to expect realistically
- Whitening does not change the colour of fillings, crowns or veneers — those may need replacing to match afterwards.
- Results last one to three years depending on diet and smoking, then need a top-up.
- Sensitivity is temporary; enamel damage from professional whitening is not a concern when done correctly.
Our advice: get a cleaning first — you may be surprised how much brighter your teeth already are — and then decide whether whitening is still needed.
Have a question about this?
Want to know how white your teeth can realistically go? A ten-minute assessment tells us whether your stains will respond to whitening — before you spend anything.