Does the whitening solution I buy at the store give the same results as the solution I would buy from my dentist?

Heavens, no! The whitening solutions purchased over the counter at the drug stores are diluted, weaker solutions used in the dental office. The difference is that there is no professional monitoring or maintenance with a product sold over the counter, thus the concentrations cannot by law be as strong for fear of harm to a consumer. The solutions used by the dentist are of stronger percentages and concentrations, and are routinely monitored by the dentist and office. While these in-office solutions are not harmful to the teeth or gum tissue, if monitored and used properly, they render a far more profound and longer lasting result.