Info on home tooth whitening

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Why do teeth darken? This is due to the fact that individuals consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get 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 undergoing the system do verify some improvement. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to expensive but typically effective professional dental whitening services. There is a large amount of of tooth whitening systems to be had currently.

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 vital aspect of the bleaching process and is the rationale why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is probably the most cost effective method of tooth whitening currently out there. Through 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. Then, 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 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 must be careful. This approach is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

Compared to OTC products, dentists generally use a higher concentration of bleaching compound with a laser tooth whitening system like Britesmile® or Zoom® tooth whitening. With a laser whitening procedure, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces exceptionally 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 cause 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 provide the reader a thorough understanding of the varying strengths of peroxides utilized 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 attempt to summarize the relative effectiveness, prices, 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 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 might seem like a bad cavity. If you don't utilize a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of experiencing irregular or spotty consequences. The next simplest tooth whitening method is the whitening strip method. 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. Yet, often the possible results aren't as excellent as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.

OTC tooth whitening products should in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, however with a lowered concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer period of time. 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.

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. There are varying levels of worth to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA doesn't become involved. Nonetheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products. 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 should know about the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet received this coveted designation.

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 way to go. Yet, if the situation is more deep rooted, then more tooth whitening systems might be looked into.

Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening

In the face of the bewildering array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are essentially 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 simply can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a good delivery method and expect it to work. The secret to the most ideal 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 method of delivery. This is definitely critical to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There's nothing intrinsically superb or unfavorable about any of these three basic techniques - each approach can yield fine results.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow closely all instructions. Review your situation. If you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. If you truly want an excellent bright white smile, then your only choice is a cosmetic dentist.

If you have a further interest in tooth whitening methods, you may also want to look into whitening of teeth or in addition tooth whitening gel.