Why a Tooth Whitening System?
Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to costly but typically effective skilled dental whitening services. Why do teeth become yellowed? This is because people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get 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 approach do confirm some improvement. There is a plethora of tooth whitening systems to be had currently.
Whitening Strip Method
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 costly, and easiest to use tooth whitening system. This explains the popularity of this system. Yet, frequently the results aren't as excellent as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips can do a good job of whitening the exterior tooth surfaces, but achieve a poor job of bleaching the teeth divisions and cracks. A dark division between whitened teeth might seem like a bad cavity. If you don't employ a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of dealing with irregular or spotty consequences.
OTC tooth whitening products could in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, but with a decreased concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. This is partially true, but omits the reality that dentists use a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available with OTC products.
Take Home Tray Whitening
Because the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this allows the bleaching gel to remain in contact with the teeth surface. In essence, this is the most critical aspect of the bleaching process and is the rationale why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is perhaps the most cost effective method of tooth whitening presently on hand. Through 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 then 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 carefully follow all the instructions. This procedure has been successful, but you should be cautious. This technique is not recommended by the ADA.
Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening
Contrasted 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 technique, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces remarkably amplified 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 cause the tooth whitening. The majority of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months.
A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening
The following table will give the reader a thorough understanding of the varying strengths of peroxides utilized 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 try to summarize the relative effectiveness, costs, and advantages 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
Only particular tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have obtained the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. There are differing levels of worth to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA doesn't get involved. Nonetheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set guidelines for tooth whitening products. The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not turn out to be harmful to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What we should know about the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet received this coveted designation.
Tooth Whitening Toothpaste
The most simple tooth whitening method is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you simply need some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. Yet, if the situation is more deep rooted, then further tooth whitening systems should be looked into.
Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening
In the face of the confusing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are essentially simply three (3) approaches to whitening one’s teeth:
- Dental in-office bleaching
- Self-applied night-time bleaching using a tailored tray or a polyethylene strip
- Individual directed whitening using OTC bleaching products
You just can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a fine delivery method and presume it to work. The secret to the most ideal results in tooth whitening is the whitening agent delivery system. In all the tooth whitening methods, the tooth bleaching gel is kept in place by a system of delivery. This is absolutely fundamental to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There is nothing intrinsically superior or unfavorable regarding any of these three basic techniques - each method could yield top notch results.
Conclusion
Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow closely all instructions. Assess your condition. If you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then consider an OTC tooth whitening system. If you truly desire a superb 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 product reviews or in addition
laser teeth whitening cost.
