Info on tooth whitening kit

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low cost whitening strips on the low end to expensive but generally effective specialized dental whitening services. Why do teeth darken? This is due to the fact that people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get exposed to antibiotics, and just plain age. Teeth whitening is an effective technique to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of those going through the procedure do confirm some improvement. There is a plethora of tooth whitening systems available today.

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. 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. Because the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this permits the bleaching gel to keep in contact with the teeth surface. In essence, this is the most vital aspect of the bleaching process and is the rationale why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is possibly the most cost effective method of tooth whitening now out there.

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 approach 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 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 exceptionally 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. 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 give the reader a broad understanding of the differing strengths of peroxides used in the various 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 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 differing degrees of quality to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA doesn't get involved. Nevertheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products. The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not become adverse to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What a person should know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet earned this coveted designation. Only a small amount of tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners that have earned the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.

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 require some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. Yet, if the situation is more deep rooted, then additional tooth whitening systems should be looked into.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Despite the confusing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are in point of fact 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

You simply can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a decent delivery system and presume it to work. The secret to the best outcomes 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 system of delivery. This is definitely critical to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There is not anything intrinsically superior or unfavorable about any of these three basic techniques - each method can yield superb outcomes.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening technique 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 expensive, and easiest to use tooth whitening procedure. This explains the popularity of this technique. But then, frequently the possible results are not as good as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. 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 could look like a bad cavity. If you do not employ a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of having irregular or spotty consequences.

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

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow in detail all instructions. Evaluate your condition. Only if you are looking for a little whitening of your teeth, then contemplate an OTC tooth whitening system. If you particularly seek an excellent bright white smile, at that time your only option is a cosmetic dentist.

If you have a further interest in tooth whitening methods, you may also want to look into ionic white light activated tooth whitening system or in addition white brilliance.