3 Reasons You Need To Avoid At-Home Cosmetic Dentistry Options

Teeth whitening, teeth straightening, and cavity reversal are three of the leading do-it-yourself or at-home cosmetic dentistry options. You can purchase kits, supplements, and tools that will claim to help you achieve your goals to a healthier and brighter looking smile. The problem with these at-home options is that sometimes the result you receive can end up causing more damage than the initial problem causing the issue. Here are a few reasons that you should consider avoiding at home cosmetic dentistry options and seek a professional, such as Dr. Robert Petrtyl, instead.

Inability to Eat or Drink Normally

One of the many at-home options available to you are snap on veneer kits. These kits essentially give you the cosmetic look and feel of regular veneers, but with many drawbacks. One of the key drawbacks is the inability to eat or drink while they are in place. Eating and drinking can move the veneer or even reshape it if the food is hot enough.

This is also an issue with certain teeth whitening kits and products that may have you stay away from food or drink for a certain duration of time, such as an hour. They may also cause sensitivity that can leave you are unable to drink hot or cold liquids until you see a dentist who can reverse the sensitivity or give you other cosmetic options.

Damage to Your Enamel

You may have issues that don't hurt your teeth necessarily but cause you to have discoloration that is unappealing. This means that you may want to look at something like teeth whitening as an option. If this is the case, you will likely choose a brush on option or a gel of some kind. These at home options contain peroxide that can cause enamel damage and sensitivity over time. This is due to the peroxide having the ability to pass through the enamel. Glues and adhesives may also cause enamel breakdown.

Damage to Your Tooth or Gums

When you use an at-home kit or solution for your oral cosmetic appearance, you may be using something that you are very unfamiliar with. This could mean using dental tools that you are not used to or have experience with. The combination of the procedure and not having the right knowledge can lead to breaking your teeth, chipping your teeth, or causing severe damage to your gums. A professional gives you the benefit of having this knowledge and reducing risk of damage.

If you need to have any cosmetic procedure done on your teeth, consider a free consultation with your dentist. Most will offer this option and give you a price estimate for what needs to be done to achieve the results you need. They may also be able to set up a payment program if funds are your problem.