Info on white teeth

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Why do teeth darken? This is because individuals consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, become 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 going through the procedure do confirm some improvement. There is a plethora of tooth whitening systems available currently. Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from economical whitening strips on the low end to expensive but usually effective expert dental whitening services.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening system is the whitening strip approach. 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 costly, and easiest to use tooth whitening system. This explains the popularity of this system. However, often the outcomes aren't as superb as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips are able to do 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 may seem similar to 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 could in principle provide 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 employ a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available with OTC products.

Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Notwithstanding the perplexing 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 custom-fitted tray or a polyethylene strip
• Individual directed whitening using OTC bleaching products

There's not anything intrinsically superb or deficient regarding any of these three basic approaches - each technique could yield nice results. The secret to the finest outcomes 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 procedure of delivery. This is with out a doubt needed to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. You simply can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a fine delivery method and presume it to work.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not be adverse to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What one ought to know in regards to the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet earned this coveted designation. Only particular tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have received the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. 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 guidelines for tooth whitening products.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

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

Take Home Tray Whitening

Because the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this permits the bleaching gel to stay 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 possibly the most cost effective method of tooth whitening presently on hand. With 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. 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 subsequently 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 carefully follow all the instructions. This procedure has been successful, but you should be careful. This approach 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 leads to chemical reactions that cause the tooth whitening. The majority of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. Compared to OTC products, dentists mostly 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 very enhanced whitening effects.

A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening

The following table will give the reader a thorough understanding of the differing strengths of peroxides used 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 attempt to summarize the relative effectiveness, costs, and benefits of the diverse 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 closely all instructions. Assess your circumstances. Only if you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then consider an OTC tooth whitening system. If you really want a fantastic 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 dangers of teeth whitening or in addition the best teeth whitening.