Info on tooth whitening systems

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from economical whitening strips on the low end to pricey but typically effective skilled dental whitening services. There is a good amount of of tooth whitening systems accessible currently. Why do teeth darken? This is due to the fact that individuals consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get exposed to antibiotics, and just plain get older. Teeth whitening is an effective way to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons experiencing the procedure do confirm some improvement.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not become 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 yet attained this coveted designation. There are differing degrees of quality to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not become involved. Nonetheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products. Only a small amount of tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners that have acquired the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

The most simple tooth whitening approach is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you merely require some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. However, if the situation is more deep rooted, then other tooth whitening systems might be looked into.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening system is the whitening strip procedure. 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 system. This explains the popularity of this method. However, often the possible results are not 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 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 appear like a bad cavity. If you do not utilize a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of experiencing irregular or spotty possible results.

OTC tooth whitening products ought to in principle come up with the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, yet with a lessened concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. This is partially true, but omits the fact that dentists employ a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available with OTC products.

Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening

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

You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a fine delivery procedure and presume it to work. There is not anything intrinsically good or deficient about any of these three basic approaches - each method should yield top notch results. The key 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 with out a doubt fundamental to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth.

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. 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 then 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. Actually, 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.

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 thoroughly follow all the instructions. This procedure has been successful, but you should be cautious. This system is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

Compared 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 process, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces especially amplified whitening effects. 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 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 give the reader a thorough 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 following table, we make an attempt to summarize the relative effectiveness, costs, and benefits of the different 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

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow carefully all instructions. Assess your situation. Providing you are looking for a small amount of whitening of your teeth, then contemplate an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you really wish a great bright white smile, then your sole option is a cosmetic dentist.

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