Having white teeth can brighten your smile and make you feel more self-confident. As a result, whitening kits are often very popular. Unfortunately, people often make mistakes with these whitening kits, both in their use of them and their expectations of them. Here are three of the most common mistakes involving at-home whitening.

Gum Exposure

Most at-home whitening kits use peroxide and bleaching agents in order to achieve the white color you're looking for. While these products are designed to be safe to use on teeth, that doesn't mean that they're particularly safe for your gums.

Peroxide and the whitening agents can potentially make your gums feel tender, sore, or even injure them, especially if you already have gum disease. While dentists take careful steps to ensure that whitening agents never touch your gums when you have your teeth whitened at the dentist's office, the same can't be said for doing it by yourself at home. It's very difficult for the average person to avoid touching their gums with the whitening products, so this kind of sensitivity and damage is fairly common.

Prolonged Exposure

When it comes to whitening your teeth, the directions on the package should be followed explicitly. These products are tested to ensure their safety on your teeth, but if you go beyond the suggested time, they may become far less safe. If given enough time, erosion of the teeth can occur, which can open up the possibilities of tooth sensitivity and cavities.

Unfortunately, many people either don't notice the time limit on their whitening products, lose track of the time, or are hoping to get a boost in the effects if they wear it for longer. In the long run, you could experience a number of problems with your teeth that only a dentist can fix, so don't be tempted to do this.

Expecting Results

Finally, at-home whitening kits just can't deliver the whitening punch that a visit to the cosmetic dentist's office can. Whitening kits are usually designed to be used multiple times before you get the effects that you want. Depending on the variety that you use, this could take days or even weeks, especially if your teeth are badly stained when you start the process.

Whitening your teeth at home can be further slowed down if the product that you use suggests a period of downtime between uses. This is to help protect your teeth and gums, but it can substantially slow down how quickly you receive benefits. While getting white teeth in one session is possible at the dentist's office, it's not really something that can be achieved at home.

If you want your teeth whitened as safely and quickly as possible, there's just no beating the dentist's office. With these tips you can ensure that your at-home whitening treatment is as safe and effective as possible, but if you want help right away, consider making an appointment to have your teeth whitened professionally.

Talk to a business like Pinon Hills Dental for more details.