Why a Tooth Whitening System?
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 age. Teeth whitening is an effective course to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of those going through the approach do show some improvement. There is a good amount of of tooth whitening systems accessible today. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to pricey but generally effective specialized dental whitening services.
Take Home Tray Whitening
Due to the fact that the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this allows the bleaching gel to stay 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 perhaps the most cost effective method of tooth whitening right now 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. Later, 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 utterly on your own. You must closely 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
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. A large number of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. Judged against to OTC products, dentists for the most part 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 precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces very enhanced whitening effects.
A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening
The following table will provide the reader a thorough understanding of the differing strengths of peroxides used in the various 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, costs, and advantages of the different 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 do a fine 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 appear like a bad cavity. If you do not employ a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the possibility of having irregular or spotty consequences. The next simplest tooth whitening technique 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 use tooth whitening method. This explains the popularity of this system. However, frequently the results are not as superb as those results 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 lower concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer period of time. This is partially true, but omits the fact that dentists use a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something unavailable with OTC products.
The ADA Seal of Acceptance
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 guidelines 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 that have acquired 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 harmful 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 earned this coveted designation.
Tooth Whitening Toothpaste
The most simple tooth whitening system is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you just need some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. But, if the difficulty is more deep rooted, then additional tooth whitening systems might be looked into.
Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening
Despite the confusing 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 administered whitening using OTC bleaching products
You simply can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a fine delivery procedure and expect it to work. There's nothing intrinsically superior or bad about any of these three basic techniques - each system could yield good results. 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 with out a doubt central to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth.
Conclusion
Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow carefully all instructions. Evaluate your condition. Only if you are looking for a small amount of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you particularly wish a magnificent 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
whitelight tooth whitening or in addition
tooth powder.
