Info on tooth whitening gel

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a good amount of of tooth whitening systems obtainable today. Why do teeth become yellowed? 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 course to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of those experiencing the approach do confirm some improvement. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to expensive but mostly effective professional dental whitening services.

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. Truly, this is the most vital aspect of the bleaching process and is the explanation why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is maybe the most cost effective method of tooth whitening presently available. 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. 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 completely on your own. You must closely follow all the instructions. This procedure has been successful, but you must be cautious. This method is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

Judged against 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 exactly defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces very enhanced 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 initiates chemical reactions that lead to 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 provide the reader a thorough 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 following table, we make an effort to summarize the relative effectiveness, expense, and advantages 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

Whitening Strip Method

Whitening strips are able to accomplish a nice 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 may appear similar to a bad cavity. If you do not use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the risk of possessing irregular or spotty results. The next simplest tooth whitening approach 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 expensive, and easiest to employ tooth whitening approach. This explains the popularity of this technique. But then, frequently the outcomes are not as excellent as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.

OTC tooth whitening products can in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, yet with a decreased 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 unavailable with OTC products.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

There are differing degrees 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 a small amount of 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. 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 must know about the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet attained this coveted designation.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

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

Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening

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

You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a good delivery procedure 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 method of delivery. This is with out a doubt critical to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There is nothing intrinsically superior or deficient about any of these three basic techniques - each method could yield good results.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow closely all instructions. Review your condition. If you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then contemplate an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you particularly want an excellent bright white smile, then 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 systems or in addition teeth whitening systems.