There are two commonly used methods for bleaching: at-home and in-office. Both begin with an office consultation to determine if the patient is a good candidate for the bleaching process. The at-home technique is the most popular and least expensive. The in-office method allows the dentist to place a higher concentration of bleach over the teeth.

A custom mouth piece or "tray" is made to fit your teeth by the dental office. This tray fits over the patient's teeth and holds the bleaching material against the teeth and away from the gums for a specified period of time. There are different concentrations of bleach that are worn via the tray for one to five hours per day for an average of 10 to 14 days. The regimen will be determined by the dentist and may differ for each patient. If the teeth become more sensitive to hot and cold, a "desensitizing" material may be used in the same tray on alternating days. Results are usually excellent with this method.

The gum tissues are covered to protect them from being irritated by a higher concentration of the bleaching material. This method is usually repeated at separate appointments and is more expensive than the at-home method. The only benefit is that the bleaching is achieved more quickly, although recent studies suggest that the bleaching result is retained longer with the at home method. Because of this, Dr. Randall generally recommends the at home method except in cases of “bleach emergency”