Every bride wants to look their best on their wedding day. Not only do they want to feel beautiful while walking down the aisle, they also know that wedding photos last forever.

In addition to the perfect dress, the bridal updo, and the sparkling ring, brides are often eager to have a beautiful smile on their wedding day. To make that happen, many consider teeth whitening before wedding bells.

If you’re engaged and thinking about whitening your teeth before the big day, here’s what you need to know.

Should you whiten your teeth at the dentist’s office or at home?

One of the first choices you have to make is to decide whether you want to do it in office or at home.

The results of the in-office whitening procedures are almost always better than at-home kits because dentists can use gels with a higher concentration of bleach, leading to whiter teeth. Though there are different procedures, like Zoom and Britesmile, most of them involve the same steps: cleaning the teeth, prepping the teeth and gums, applying the gel, waiting for 15-30 minutes, and finally removing the gel. You’ll see results immediately, but the full results will be visible in a couple days.

While at-home whitening procedures may not deliver results as quickly  as in-office procedures, they’re still very popular because they’re convenient and affordable. You can buy kits that use flexible plastic strips or plastic trays to apply the bleaching gel to the tooth’s surface. You may also be able to get a kit from your dentist that has stronger gel than the over-the-counter versions.. It’s usually necessary to use these products for a couple weeks before seeing significant improvement.

Beware: Teeth whitening can cause sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity after whitening is not uncommon after using hydrogen peroxide-based bleaching gels. This sensitivity can be mild or severe, causing sharp pain when the teeth come into contact with hot or cold drinks or sugary foods. This happens because the gel penetrates the dentin and causes irritation of the nerves, which react in pain to certain stimuli.

This sensitivity typically only lasts a few days past the end of treatment, no matter whether you’re doing an in-office or at-home procedure. This means you should plan your whitening treatment well in advance so you’re not experiencing tooth pain when you should be celebrating with loved ones.

Caveat if you’ve had past dental work

If you have veneers, crowns, or other similar dental work, know that the whitening procedure won’t change their color. If they were color matched to your teeth (and they should have been), that means that they won’t match your natural teeth after they’re whitened.

In this case, it’s best to see your dentist several months before the big day, so you can discuss whitening options and what to do about your dental work so you have a uniformly white smile.

Use as directed for safety

As long as you have a procedure done by your dentist or follow the directions of a trusted at-home kit (ideally recommended or provided by your dentist), teeth whitening is safe. It will not cause permanent changes to the structure or strength of your teeth and will only make them appear whiter.

However, if you don’t follow directions – say, you decide to wear your strips or gel trays for triple the amount of time recommended, or you do multiple kits in a row – you can overdo it. This over-whitening can actually discolor teeth, so be sure to follow instructions closely.

Go for it

Teeth whitening before your wedding day is a fantastic way to make a big difference to your appearance with relatively little time and money investment. Remember that wedding photos last forever, so why not show off your best possible smile? If you’ve been considering a teeth whitening procedure, talk to your dentist about your options and then go for it!