Why a Tooth Whitening System?
There is a plethora of tooth whitening systems obtainable today. Why do teeth darken? This is because people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, become exposed to antibiotics, and just plain get older. Teeth whitening is an effective technique to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons going through the process do show some improvement. Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low-priced whitening strips on the low end to pricey but mostly effective specialized dental whitening services.
Whitening Strip Method
Whitening strips are able to accomplish a fine job of whitening the exterior tooth surfaces, but do a poor job of bleaching the teeth divisions and cracks. A dark division between whitened teeth might seem similar to a bad cavity. If you don't employ a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the risk of experiencing irregular or spotty possible results. The next simplest tooth whitening method is the whitening strip method. You place tooth bleaching tape on your front teeth. This tape is flexible, and contains the gel that bleaches the teeth. This is the most comfortable, least pricey, and easiest to use tooth whitening system. This explains the popularity of this method. But then, frequently the outcomes aren't as nice as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.
OTC tooth whitening products should in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, yet with a lower concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer period of time. This is partially true, but omits the reality that dentists employ a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available with OTC products.
Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening
In the face of the perplexing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are basically just three (3) approaches to whitening one’s teeth:
- Dental in-office bleaching
- Self-applied night-time bleaching using a custom-fitted tray or a polyethylene strip
- Individual directed whitening using OTC bleaching products
The secret to the highest quality outcomes in tooth whitening is the whitening agent delivery procedure. In all the tooth whitening methods, the tooth bleaching gel is kept in place by a procedure of delivery. This is absolutely needed to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. You just can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a viable delivery procedure and expect it to work. There's not anything intrinsically superior or unfavorable regarding any of these three basic techniques - each system could yield good results.
Take Home Tray Whitening
With a take home tooth whitening tray system, which the patient can perform at home, the dentist makes an impression for a model of the patient’s teeth. Then, a perfect fitting bleach tray is fitted from this impression. Finally, a bleaching gel is prescribed by the dentist. At home, the bleaching gel is placed in the bleaching tray by the patient and the tray is consequently worn for one to two hours at home at a convenient time by the tooth whitening patient. As the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this allows the bleaching gel to stay in contact with the teeth surface. In essence, this is the most important aspect of the bleaching process and is the explanation why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is possibly the most cost effective method of tooth whitening now on hand.
An OTC kit is similar to the take home whitening tray fitted at the dentist’s office, but in this case, you are utterly on your own. You must thoroughly follow all the instructions. This technique has been successful, but you must be careful. This technique is not recommended by the ADA.
Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening
Judged against to OTC products, dentists generally use a higher concentration of bleaching compound with a laser tooth whitening system like Britesmile® or Zoom® tooth whitening. With a laser whitening process, the exactly defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces very enhanced whitening effects. With a procedure like Zoom® tooth whitening, a special bright laser light is shone on the teeth whitening gel for an hour. Laser light energy creates energy which leads to chemical reactions that lead to the tooth whitening. A good number of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months.
A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening
The following table will provide the reader a thorough understanding of the varying strengths of peroxides used in the different whitening systems.
| Application |
Agent |
Professional/OTC |
Concentration |
| In Office "power bleaching" |
hydrogen peroxide
carbamide peroxide |
dentist
dentist |
15%-38%
35% |
| Night-time tray bleaching |
carbamide peroxide
hydrogen peroxide |
dentist
dentist |
10%-22%
6-9.5% |
| whitening strips |
hydrogen peroxide
hydrogen peroxide |
OTC
dentist |
5.3%-10%
6.5%-14%
|
| paint on gels |
carbamide peroxide
hydrogen peroxide |
OTC
OTC
|
18%
19% |
A comparison of all the tooth whitening systems
In the following table, we make an effort to summarize the relative effectiveness, costs, and benefits of the various tooth whitening systems.
| Method |
Effectiveness |
Length of results |
Treatment Duration |
Side Effects |
Tooth Type |
Cost |
| Whitening strips |
Whitens teeth slightly, might leave "lines" |
1 year |
7-14 days |
Minimally sensitive teeth/gums |
Slightly yellow teeth |
$15 |
| Brush on whitening gels |
Somewhat better than regular toothpaste |
Several weeks |
7-14 days |
Bad breath |
Slightly yellow teeth |
$3-$5 |
| OTC gels |
Improves with higher peroxide levels |
1 year |
1-3 weeks |
Sensitive teeth/gums |
Moderately yellow to dark teeth |
$10 |
| Bleaching done in dentist's office |
Great for yellow teeth |
3 yrs |
1-2 mos. |
Sensitive teeth/gums |
Extremely dark teeth, which require professional evaluation |
$300-$1000 |
| Dentist supervised gel application |
Great for yellow teeth |
3 years |
3-6 wks |
Sensitive teeth/gums |
Dark teeth, which needs a dentist-supervised evaluation |
$300-$500 |
| Crowns |
Very effective for one tooth |
10-15 years |
1 month |
feeling of tightness |
Single tooth is decayed or broken |
$600-$3000 |
| Veneers |
Very effective for just one tooth |
10-15 years |
3-4 weeks |
feeling of tightness |
Single tooth needs straightening |
$500-$1200 |
| Bonding |
Very effective for just one tooth |
5-10 years |
1-2 weeks |
Rare allergies |
Single tooth needs minor reshaping |
$300-$700 |
The ADA Seal of Acceptance
There are varying degrees of value to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not become involved. Nevertheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set guidelines for tooth whitening products. Only a small amount of tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have acquired the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not turn out to be bad to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What we must know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet attained this coveted designation.
Tooth Whitening Toothpaste
The most uncomplicated tooth whitening system is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you simply require some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. Yet, if the difficulty is more deep rooted, then further tooth whitening systems ought to be looked into.
Conclusion
Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow closely all instructions. Evaluate your condition. If you are looking for a little whitening of your teeth, then consider an OTC tooth whitening system. If you particularly seek an excellent bright white smile, then your sole choice is a cosmetic dentist.
If you have a further interest in tooth whitening methods, you may also want to look into
light activated tooth whitening or in addition
white brite.
