Info on tooth whitener

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to costly but usually effective specialized dental whitening services. There is a good amount of of tooth whitening systems accessible currently. Why do teeth darken? This is because people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get exposed to antibiotics, and just plain age. Teeth whitening is an effective path to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons undergoing the procedure do demonstrate some improvement.

Take Home Tray Whitening

Because the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this permits the bleaching gel to remain in contact with the teeth surface. Truly, this is the most essential aspect of the bleaching process and is the explanation why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is probably the most cost effective method of tooth whitening right now on hand. Through a take home tooth whitening tray technique, which the patient can perform at home, the dentist makes an impression for a model of the patient’s teeth. Subsequently, 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.

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

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

With a procedure such as Zoom® tooth whitening, a special bright laser light is shone on the teeth whitening gel for an hour. Laser light energy creates energy which causes chemical reactions that cause the tooth whitening. A good number of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. 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 system, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces especially amplified whitening effects.

A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening

The following table will give the reader a broad understanding of the differing strengths of peroxides utilized 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 ensuing table, we make an effort to summarize the relative effectiveness, costs, and advantages of the several 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 certain tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have earned 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 one should know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet earned this coveted designation. There are differing levels of worth to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA doesn't become involved. Nonetheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products.

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 just require some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. Yet, if the problem is more deep rooted, then further tooth whitening systems ought to be looked into.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening system is the whitening strip method. 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 expensive, and easiest to employ tooth whitening system. This explains the popularity of this approach. But then, frequently the outcomes are not as nice as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips can accomplish a nice 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 use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the risk of having irregular or spotty consequences.

OTC tooth whitening products should in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, however with a decreased concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. This is partially true, but omits the fact that dentists use a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something unavailable with OTC products.

Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Despite 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 tailored tray or a polyethylene strip
• Individual directed whitening using OTC bleaching products

There's nothing intrinsically superb or deficient about any of these three basic approaches - each system could yield good results. The key to the most ideal results in tooth whitening is the whitening agent delivery method. In all the tooth whitening methods, the tooth bleaching gel is kept in place by a system of delivery. This is absolutely necessary to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a good delivery procedure and expect it to work.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow carefully all instructions. Review your situation. Only if you are looking for a small amount of whitening of your teeth, then consider an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you truly wish an excellent bright white smile, at that time your sole option is a cosmetic dentist.

If you have a further interest in tooth whitening methods, you may also want to look into best teeth whitening product or in addition tooth whitening kit.