Take-home whitening:

Home bleaching is performed at home, under the indirect supervision of a dentist. At the first appointment, the dentist takes impressions of the patient’s teeth and then creates a perfectly fitted mouthpiece. This mouthpiece will allow the patient to apply a bleaching solution to the teeth while protecting the rest of the mouth from contact with the bleaching chemicals.

The concentration of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide in the gel is not as strong as that used in power or laser bleaching procedures. No strong light source or laser is needed to activate the bleaching agent. Instead, it is contact with something organic, in this case the teeth, that causes the gel to release oxygen. In most cases, home bleaching can take from one to three weeks to achieve maximum results. During this time, the dentist may want to check the progress of the treatment.