Is it safe to bleach my teeth professionally at home? Yes. In fact, many dentists consider this whitening process the safest cosmetic procedure available today. It is the same process used in dental offices. Professional tooth whitening has been used effectively on healthy teeth since 1986 with no apparent risks.

Is this an over-the-counter product? This is a professional system available direct from a certified dental lab, not an over-the-counter product. Dentists also purchase this same system from our lab. We provide a true professional system-with professional strength 22% carbamide peroxide gel and custom bleaching trays manufactured by our lab to specially fit your teeth. This system produces astounding results.

Is it Illegal? It is not illegal to make your own impressions. By taking your own impressions you have saved yourself hundreds of dollars. You get to keep the dentist's profit!

What is the Professional Tooth Whitening process?

1. Direct White will ship via priority mail your system to you.
2. You make your own impressions and put them in the postage paid envelope. It is easy to do!
3. The lab manufactures for you a custom-fitted hand-trimmed bleaching tray that fits your teeth exactly.
4. You apply bleaching gel to the trays and start the whitening process.

How long will this process take? We ship the system to you by Priority Mail, usually arriving in just 2 or 3 days. You then mail your impressions to the lab via the postage paid envelope. The Brighter Image lab specializes in producing only custom bleaching trays-- and they are fast. Most teeth bleaching trays are produced within 48 hours. (The lab is closed on weekends.) With the mailing time & weekends included, plan on 10-14 days to receive your trays. Note that during high volume seasons, both mail time and lab processing time will increase.

Is it difficult to make teeth impressions? Taking an impression is so incredibly easy. Anyone can do it without the assistance of a dental assistant. The most important thing to remember is to not bite down or move the impression tray from side to side. Click here for specific impression instructions.

Do you ship outside of the USA? Yes, we ship most anywhere in the world for the same shipping and handling charge. Delivery time is usually less than a week. International customers should note that the postage paid envelope inside the system has USA postage. You will need to go to the post office to ship your impressions back to the USA with the proper postage.

What kind of system guarantee do you offer? Direct White Professional Teeth Whitening offers a no questions asked 100% results satisfaction warranty. If you're not completely satisfied with your whitening results using our system, just simply return the custom bleaching trays within 30 days and we'll give you a full product refund (excluding S/H) We want you to be able to trust our service and be completely satisfied with your professional results.

Why are you selling the Professional Teeth Whitening System direct? We've observed for years as cosmetic dentists charged as much as $800 dollars for our service. All the dentist would do is have an assistant take the impressions of a patient's teeth. (Same thing you can easily do yourself, thanks to a new simple technology). The impression is then sent to our lab where we make the custom trays. We do all the work! We send the trays to the dentist, who then sends the patient home with whitening gel and trays. The dentist makes all the money for really doing very little. By going direct to the client we are providing a service that makes teeth whitening affordable for everyone. This lab-direct process has been compared the contact lens industry. Contact purchases were once the domain of eye doctors who exclusively provided contacts to their patients. Today the vast majority of clients purchase their contacts directly at a great savings.

How important are custom bleaching trays? Very important. Having a tray that fits snuggly on your teeth is essential to assure proper bleaching and consistent results. It will also save you money: by allowing less gel to be used, by lasting many years, and if you lose them, they can be replaced. (See tray replacement warranty.)

What is the difference between the boil-n-bite moldable mouthpieces and the custom professional bleaching trays? The precision lab manufactured bleaching trays are more precise and more comfortable to wear. They help you save on the amount of bleaching gel needed and are better for people whose gums may be sensitive to bleaching gels. Custom mouthpieces are safer for the client to create since there is no boiling water involved in the formation process. They are also more comfortable than the bulky boil-n-bites. However, we do provide boil-n-bite trays if a client desires them, but we do not include them in our warranty.

I have lost my trays. How can I get them replaced? If you purchased our exclusive replacement warranty, just email us at info@directwhite.com and you will receive a new set in a few days free of charge. If you are a former client and the lab still has your molds, the replacement cost is $49. If you have not previously used our lab, then an impression will need to be made. You may have an impression kit sent to you and custom trays manufactured for $79.

What is your exclusive Replacement Warranty? This warranty is available to those who purchase our complete professional whitening system. It may be purchased for only $29, which includes two syringes of 22% bleaching gel. This warranty must be purchased within 60 days of system purchase.

How does your Professional Teeth Whitening System compare to Laser Whitening/Power Bleaching? The only disadvantage is time. Our average customer will take 4 days to achieve this same whiteness. However, our system has advantages: It is much less expensive, you don't have to take time off work to go to the dentist, and it includes the custom trays that are used for maintenance bleaching. (Those who have their teeth "power bleached" will still need to do maintenance bleaching to keep up the whiteness.)

Which is safer? Our professional system is safer. Many OTC products contain ingredients that are harmful to teeth, such as abrasives that wear away at the enamel, and acids which etch the teeth. Professional tooth whitening is believed to actually improve gum health.

Which costs less money? Our professional system will save you money. Because OTC products must be used for long periods of time, they will actually end up costing you more!

Who may benefit from tooth whitening? Almost everyone will have noticeable results within 4-5 days. Teeth do vary from person to person and some teeth will take more time to whiten. For this reason we offer a choice in teeth whitening systems; Executive 4 (4 syringes of gel) for average to whiten teeth and Executive 8 (8 syringes) for more difficult to whiten teeth. Tetracycline (antibiotic) stains are the most difficult to whiten.

Is whitening permanent? After the initial curing, you will find that you will need to bleach for one day periodically. Generally, one day a month is all that is needed to keep your smile bright and white. This is referred to as maintenance bleaching. Although teeth bleaching is not considered a permanent whitening procedure, it can effectively become "permanent" through regular maintenance bleaching

Veneers. Professional teeth whitening can lighten teeth which have porcelain veneers. Veneers are translucent shells of porcelain which have been bonded onto the front side of a person's teeth. While the tooth bleaching agent will not change the color of the veneer itself it will be able to permeate the tooth from the backside, thus lightening the tooth structure which lies under the veneer. Because veneers are translucent, the net effect can be that the tooth, from the front side, appears whiter.

Crowns, Fillings and Bridges. The professional bleaching processes will not make a color change in the dental work you have already had done but can remove discoloration from staining. This includes restorations such as: white fillings, bonding, crowns, and bridges. In most cases, a person's teeth should be whitened first and then afterwards their dental work done to match the new shade of their teeth.

Gum recession. Some persons have gum recession Usually the root surface which becomes visible as gums recede has an appearance which is somewhat darker than the rest of the tooth. This is because root surfaces are not covered by enamel but are instead composed of another naturally darker material called "dentin". The professional teeth whitening method won't effectively lighten dentin. This means that the color of the root portion of the tooth (which shows where the gum recession has occurred) will not change noticeably as a result of your bleaching efforts.

My teeth have been discolored by tetracycline or minocycline. Will bleaching help? Tetracycline (and some other antibiotics) taken before the age of 8 can discolor the permanent teeth. The success in bleaching depends on the amount of discolorization. Generally the lighter the color, the more success there is of treatment. It was once believed that tetracycline stains did not respond to bleaching. However some recent studies bring great hope, showing that prolonged bleaching (6 months to a year) can yield positive results.

If I am pregnant or nursing, should I use this product? There is no known hazard associated with whitening teeth while pregnant or nursing. However, we ask that you consult your physician first before using our products.

How was tooth whitening discovered? By accident, actually. Dentists used hydrogen peroxide and its cousin, carbamide peroxide to aid gum healing after dental surgery. It was discovered that when these solutions came in contact with the teeth, the teeth became whiter.

Why our gel is #1? Thousands of loyal customers are pleased with this gel. Direct White believes that it is the highest quality bleaching gel on the market. We previously have sold other brands with less customer satisfaction. No wonder so many customers refer their friends to us.

Sticky gel formula. Our sticky gel formula sticks to the tray and firmly holds it against your teeth to whiten. It is the perfect consistency for whitening.

22% carbamide peroxide pure blended gel. This gel is a pure-blended concentrate and does not contain extra fillers. It is of the highest quality. Because of this concentration, it is recommended that clients use custom-manufactured whitening trays, and bleach from 1 - 3 hours per day. This gel is 40 percent stronger than 16% gel and is the popular choice among teeth whitening clients today.

16% carbamide peroxide. Once a popular strength, 16% bleaching gel is now rarely ordered by our clients. For this reason, we no longer carry 16% in stock.

Bleaching gel strength and sensitivity. Clients sometimes mistakenly believe that weaker-strength gel will lesson the chance of tooth sensitivity (which is temporary). However, sensitivity is related to how long the bleaching gel is in contact with the teeth and gums, regardless of the strength. Since 16% bleaching gel must be used longer per day to achieve the same results (and 10% gel even more so), 22% gel becomes the better choice for sensitivity issues.

Gel freshness. Brighter Image™ gel is guaranteed fresh. Our lab takes great care in making sure that the gel is purchased fresh, is stored properly, has not aged, and is of the finest quality.

Exclusive metal tip. The gel is packaged in 1cc syringes with an exclusive metal tip, which ensures accurate usage and avoids waste - a common problem with many other teeth bleaching products. Concentrated gel, with no added fillers or ingredients, means only a very small amount per tooth is used to achieve your desired whiteness. Each syringe should last from 4 - 6 days. We also have found the syringes to be easier to manipulate, easier to store, and more affordable, thereby providing the very best value.

Gel life. Brighter Image™ gel has a 2 year life at room temperature and even longer refrigerated (up to 6 years). Bleaching gel should not be stored at high temperatures, nor should it be frozen.

Higher gel concentrations. We occasionally have customers ask about 30% + gel. At the advice of our chemist, we do not carry this concentration. At this time we do not recommend this strength.

We sell the following brands by special phone order: Achromasia, Rembrandt, Nupro Gold, Perfecta Ultra 6, Perfecta 16%, Opalescence, Nite-White, Day-White.

1. Make sure the company is a dentist or a dental lab that actually does work for dentists.
2. Make sure the bleaching gel is a pure blended gel with no fillers.
3. Make sure that the gel is a High-Intensity Competitive Strength Gel (finest quality and required by top models, actors and professionals).
4. Make sure a metal syringe tip is provided. (This is a secret in the gel industry, syringes with a metal syringe tip last up to three (3) times longer, reducing waste.)
5. Beware of gels that contain extra ingredients and fillers. This type of gel increases the time needed to bleach, provides additional sources of irritation, and requires larger amounts of gel to be used.
6. Avoid gel that is not fresh and be sure that you're using gel provided by a certified dental lab.
7. Select a concentrate gel so that only a small amount will accomplish your goal.
8. And last but not least, buy the gel from a provider that sells large quantities versus a provider that moves product slowly. (Hint: Most dentists dispense as much gel in a year as we do in a day.)

Use of the metal tip. It is important to use the tip to avoid over-usage. The tip is also effective in touching-up specific areas. Syringes with a metal tip last up to 3 times longer, reducing waste.

Gel Temperature. The gel should be at room temperature when applied to the trays.

Preparation. You will want your teeth to be clean. You may desire to wipe them dry with a cotton ball before wearing the trays. (This may however slightly increase the chance of sensitivity.)

Can I talk while bleaching my teeth? You can carry on normal conversation wearing our trays, although you may sound a little muffled. The trays are thin and clear, and will not be noticed when you wear them.

Can I eat or drink while wearing the trays? You should not eat or drink while wearing the trays, and up to a half hour after taking them out.

How long should I wear the trays each day? The 22% gel is used from 1 - 3 hours per day. If you experience tooth sensitivity, you may want to bleach for 15 - 30 minutes a day temporarily.

Can I sleep in the trays? Some clients choose to sleep in the trays. The 22% gel has the advantage of losing its bleaching strength between 3 - 4 hours, so keeping the trays in all night would not be harmful. The thin, soft plastic trays provide sufficient comfort to allow bleaching while you sleep.

Uneven Bleaching. Some clients will experience a temporary mottling of the teeth, because some areas of the teeth will whiten quicker. This always settles down over time as treatment continues.