Info on white tooth

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Why do teeth darken? This is because people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, become exposed to antibiotics, and just plain age. Teeth whitening is an effective course to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons experiencing the system do confirm some improvement. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to pricey but usually effective professional dental whitening services. There is a plethora of tooth whitening systems to be had today.

Take Home Tray Whitening

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 consequently worn for one to two hours at home at a convenient time by the tooth whitening patient. As 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 critical aspect of the bleaching process and is the rationale why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is maybe the most cost effective method of tooth whitening right now 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 utterly on your own. You must carefully follow all the instructions. This approach has been successful, but you must be cautious. This method 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 trigger the tooth whitening. Most people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. Compared to OTC products, dentists typically 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 exactly 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 varying 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 make an effort 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

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 utilize tooth whitening approach. This explains the popularity of this method. But then, frequently the outcomes aren't as good as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips can do a good 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 might appear like a bad cavity. If you do not use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of experiencing irregular or spotty consequences.

OTC tooth whitening products should in principle come up with 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 period of time. This is partially true, but omits the reality that dentists utilize a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available with OTC products.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not turn out to be adverse to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What we should know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet attained this coveted designation. There are differing levels of worth to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not get involved. Nonetheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products. Only particular tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have obtained the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.

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 simply want some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. Yet, if the difficulty is more deep rooted, then additional tooth whitening systems might be looked into.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Despite the bewildering array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are essentially just 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 administered whitening using OTC bleaching products

The secret to the highest quality 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 unquestionably needed to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. You just can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a decent delivery system and presume it to work. There is not anything intrinsically superior or unfavorable about any of these three basic approaches - each approach should yield decent results.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow carefully all instructions. Review your condition. If you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then contemplate an OTC tooth whitening system. If you really desire an excellent 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 whiteners or in addition home tooth whitening.