Info on best teeth whiteners

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Why do teeth become yellowed? This is because people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get exposed to antibiotics, and just plain age. Teeth whitening is an effective way to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons experiencing the process do demonstrate some improvement. Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low cost whitening strips on the low end to pricey but typically effective specialized dental whitening services. There is a plethora of tooth whitening systems obtainable today.

Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Despite the perplexing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are practically only 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

You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a good delivery procedure and expect it to work. There's not anything intrinsically superior or deficient regarding any of these three basic approaches - each approach could yield nice outcomes. The key to the finest outcomes 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 definitely central to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening technique is the whitening strip system. 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 pricey, and easiest to employ tooth whitening procedure. This explains the popularity of this method. But then, often the results are not as good as those results 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 could look similar to a bad cavity. If you do not use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the risk of dealing with irregular or spotty consequences.

OTC tooth whitening products could in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, but with a lower 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 not available with OTC products.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

Only certain tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners that have attained the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. 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 should know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet received 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. Nevertheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules 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 simply desire some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. But, if the situation is more deep rooted, then additional tooth whitening systems should be looked into.

Take Home Tray Whitening

As the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this allows the bleaching gel to remain in contact with the teeth surface. In fact, this is the most significant 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 currently out there. 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. Then, 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 thoroughly follow all the instructions. This technique has been successful, but you should be careful. This technique 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 lead to the tooth whitening. The majority of 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 process, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces remarkably amplified whitening effects.

A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening

The following table will give the reader a thorough understanding of the varying strengths of peroxides used in the diverse 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 try 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. Review your condition. Providing you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. If you really seek a superb bright white smile, at that time your only option is a cosmetic dentist.

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