Before you begin a teeth whitening treatment, you'll want to know what to expect with teeth whitening, before and after your treatment. Some whitening procedures yield dramatic results after a single treatment, while others will whiten gradually over a few weeks.
There are also some treatments where you aren't likely to see very noticeable results at all — these can be brands that make false claims, whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes, or natural whitening methods.
In this article, we'll show you various teeth whitening before and after results and we'll also discuss:
- Different ingredients and their effects
- Whitening results by product
- What to expect after whitening
We hope this information helps you choose the best whitening procedure for you and the results you want to achieve with your tooth whitening treatment.
Table of contents
Professional whitening before and after
Professional teeth whitening is going to deliver by far the fastest and most noticeable results. There are various treatments you can get done in-office, including laser teeth whitening, Zoom teeth whitening, and bleaching with custom trays.
At-home teeth whitening before and after
At-home teeth whitening kits are more affordable than professional whitening, and they also take a bit longer to see results. But with some whitening kits, like the ones we will mention below, the results can be quite comparable to professional whitening once you've finished treatment.
Snow before and after
Snow is a popular teeth whitening kit that whitens with a hydrogen peroxide gel that you brush on your teeth and a blue LED light. According to Snow, 90% of customers see results after the first use. Have a look at a couple of examples of Snow whitening before and after results:
Hismile before and after
Hismile is another at-home teeth whitening system, but instead of using peroxide to whiten teeth, it uses pthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP). PAP is becoming quite popular because it whitens with the same results as hydrogen peroxide, but without any of the sensitivity.
Smile Brilliant before and after
Smile Brilliant is a system that uses custom-made trays and dental-grade whitening gel, but lets you whiten your teeth from home. According to their website, you will start to see results from 7 to 14 applications. Have a look at some of the results posted by customers to their website:
Natural whitening before and after
There are myriad natural whitening methods out there, but unfortunately, most of them just aren't that effective, and worse, some of them could do more harm than good. Some of the methods include:
- Fruit: Banana peels, strawberries, and lemons are said to have whitening effects
- Baking soda: Baking soda might whiten your teeth, but its abrasiveness will likely harm enamel
- Charcoal: Some people claim to see results from activated charcoal, but many dentists warn against its use
In the video below, dental hygienist Whitney goes over some of the most common at-home and natural whitening options. She talks about some of the best and worst and shows her before and after whitening results. (Keep in mind that as a dental hygienist she also may be a bit biased towards in-office procedures).
Teeth whitening before and after photos
When researching potential whitening procedures, it's normal to want to look at before and after photos from people who have undergone whitening treatment. But, as you do, make sure to keep an eye out for photos that have been doctored. The main giveaway is if the lighting in the after photo is overexposed.
The best way to tell is if the lips and skin around the teeth in the after photo is also way lighter than they are in the original photo. This is very common in customer reviews for teeth whitening brands. Here's an example where you can see that the gums on the left are also darker than they are on the right:
You should also check to make sure the photo doesn't look too flawless, because it may very well be photoshopped — here's an example:
Conclusion
Teeth whitening before and after photos can help you decide if a teeth whitening treatment really works. You'll see the most drastic results with in-office, professional whitening procedures, but there are also at-home whitening options that also provide noticeable results and are much more affordable.
Don't fall for claims that any whitening treatment is permanent — you'll still need to maintain good oral hygiene.
As you're looking through before and after photos, make sure to watch out for ones that have been too obviously edited, or where the gums and lips in the after photo are also much lighter than they were in the before photo — teeth whitening is meant to whiten teeth, not the areas around your teeth too!