Info on tooth whitening system

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 generally effective professional dental whitening services. There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems available today. Why do teeth darken? 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 path to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of those experiencing the approach do show some improvement.

Take Home Tray Whitening

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 essential aspect of the bleaching process and is the explanation why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is perhaps the most cost effective method of tooth whitening presently on hand. With 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. 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 totally on your own. You must closely follow all the instructions. This approach has been successful, but you should be cautious. This approach is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

With a procedure similar to 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 lead to the tooth whitening. The majority of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. Contrasted to OTC products, dentists for the most part 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 especially amplified whitening effects.

A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening

The following table will provide the reader a broad understanding of the differing 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 attempt to summarize the relative effectiveness, expense, 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

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

In spite of the bewildering array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are in essence 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 administered whitening using OTC bleaching products

You simply can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a decent delivery procedure and expect it to work. There is not anything intrinsically superior or bad about any of these three basic techniques - each approach can yield nice outcomes. The key to the finest 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 needed to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening system is the whitening strip technique. 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 expensive, and easiest to use tooth whitening procedure. This explains the popularity of this method. Yet, frequently the possible results aren't as superb as those outcomes 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 achieve a poor job of bleaching the teeth divisions and cracks. A dark division between whitened teeth may appear like a bad cavity. If you don't use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of having irregular or spotty consequences.

OTC tooth whitening products can in principle come up with the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, yet with a lowered concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. This is partially true, but omits the reality that dentists utilize a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something unavailable with OTC products.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

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. There are varying degrees of value 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 bad to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What one ought to know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet earned this coveted designation.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

The most basic tooth whitening approach is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you merely desire some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. Yet, if the problem 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 carefully all instructions. Take a look at your circumstances. Only if you are looking for a little whitening of your teeth, then contemplate an OTC tooth whitening system. If you particularly seek a great bright white smile, at that time your sole choice is a cosmetic dentist.

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