Info on whitening your teeth

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems accessible currently. Why do teeth become yellowed? This is due to the fact that people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, become exposed to antibiotics, and just plain get older. Teeth whitening is an effective course to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons going through the approach do demonstrate some improvement. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from economical whitening strips on the low end to pricey but generally effective expert dental whitening services.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Despite the confusing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are in essence simply 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 administered whitening using OTC bleaching products

The key to the best results in tooth whitening is the whitening agent delivery technique. In all the tooth whitening methods, the tooth bleaching gel is kept in place by a procedure of delivery. This is definitely crucial to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. You simply can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a decent delivery system and expect it to work. There is not anything intrinsically good or unfavorable about any of these three basic approaches - each procedure could yield fine results.

Whitening Strip Method

Whitening strips are able to do a nice 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 may seem similar to a bad cavity. If you do not employ a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of dealing with irregular or spotty possible results. The next simplest tooth whitening approach is the whitening strip technique. You place tooth bleaching tape on your front teeth. This tape is flexible, and contains the gel which bleaches the teeth. This is the most comfortable, least costly, and easiest to employ tooth whitening system. This explains the popularity of this approach. Yet, often the possible results are not as excellent as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.

OTC tooth whitening products ought to in principle come up with the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, but with a lessened concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. 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.

Take Home Tray Whitening

Due to the fact that 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 critical 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 currently out there. With a take home tooth whitening tray method, 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. Lastly, 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.

An OTC kit is similar to the take home whitening tray fitted at the dentist’s office, but in this case, you are completely on your own. You must closely follow all the instructions. This method has been successful, but you must be cautious. This technique is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

Judged against to OTC products, dentists usually use a higher concentration of bleaching compound with a laser tooth whitening system like Britesmile® or Zoom® tooth whitening. With a laser whitening procedure, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces remarkably 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 large 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 several 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 diverse 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

Only particular tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have received the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not be adverse to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What a person ought to know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet earned this coveted designation. There are varying degrees of quality to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA doesn't get involved. At any rate, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set guidelines for tooth whitening products.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

The most uncomplicated tooth whitening technique is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you merely require some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. But, if the difficulty is more deep rooted, then additional tooth whitening systems ought to be looked into.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow carefully all instructions. Assess your situation. Only if you are looking for a little whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you particularly desire a wonderful bright white smile, then your only choice is a cosmetic dentist.

If you have a further interest in tooth whitening methods, you may also want to look into teeth whitening before and after or in addition professional tooth whitening.