Is it okay to share teeth whitening kits?

Do you know if there is any issue with sharing teeth whitening kits? It’s not for me, but for my wife. She’s too embarrassed to get the teeth whitening done and I know it won’t work on me because I have too much existing dental work. Here’s the scoop. My new dentist is offering free teeth whitening for new patients. I called in to see if they would allow me to transfer it to my wife. But they are telling me no. Basically, it is only for me. It’s kind of like a use it or lose it thing. I’d love to gift it to her because she’s always hiding her smile. Can I just get the teeth whitening kit to take home and let her use it?

-Paul in North Carolina

Sorry to tell you that it’s really not the best to share the teeth whitening kit with your wife. Since the office isn’t willing to make the transfer for you, there’s nothing you could do. You mentioned she was embarrassed of her discolored teeth, so my question is – why doesn’t she make a new patient appointment at that office?

The main reason the teeth whitening won’t work for your wife is that the trays are custom made to fit your teeth. So, ill-fitting trays wouldn’t be as effective and may result in uneven whitening. Also, your wife needs to have an exam prior to getting professional teeth whitening done to make sure she doesn’t have any dental issues that need to be addressed first.

Also, since it sounds like you must have some fillings or porcelain crowns, the teeth whitening will not work for you because it will only whiten natural teeth. So, it doesn’t really make sense that the office would gift you a service that you are not eligible for. Maybe you could ask if they would credit you off future services? That may be a possibility.

Whatever you do, don’t mess around with trying to give her your trays. It’s not in her best interest. It is understandable that she is embarrassed if she doesn’t like her smile. But the right dentist should make her feel comfortable and be able to help get her smiling again with the right kind of cosmetic dentistry treatments.

Thanks for your question.

This post is sponsored by Lexington cosmetic dentist Hamburg Expressions.