Info on tooth whitening products

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a good amount of of tooth whitening systems obtainable currently. Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from economical whitening strips on the low end to expensive but generally effective expert dental whitening services. Why do teeth become yellowed? This is due to the fact that individuals consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, become exposed to antibiotics, and just plain age. Teeth whitening is an effective technique to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of those undergoing the procedure do verify some improvement.

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. Actually, this is the most critical aspect of the bleaching process and is the explanation why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is probably the most cost effective method of tooth whitening now available. 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. Lastly, 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.

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 approach has been successful, but you must be careful. This method is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

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 system, the exactly defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces especially enhanced whitening effects. With a procedure similar to 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. The majority 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 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 attempt 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 might 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 may look like a bad cavity. If you do not utilize a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of having irregular or spotty consequences. The next simplest tooth whitening method is the whitening strip technique. 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 utilize tooth whitening procedure. This explains the popularity of this method. But then, frequently the outcomes aren't as excellent as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.

OTC tooth whitening products could in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, however with a lessened 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 unavailable with OTC products.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

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

You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a good delivery technique and presume it to work. The key to the most ideal results in tooth whitening is the whitening agent delivery procedure. In all the tooth whitening methods, the tooth bleaching gel is kept in place by a system of delivery. This is absolutely necessary to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There is nothing intrinsically superb or bad about any of these three basic approaches - each method could yield top notch outcomes.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

Only particular tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners that have received the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. There are differing degrees of worth to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA doesn't get involved. Nonetheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set guidelines for tooth whitening products. 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 ought to know in regards to the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet attained this coveted designation.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

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

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow in detail all instructions. Assess your circumstances. Only if you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you really desire 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 brighter image or in addition teeth whitening and pregnancy.