Info on mouth wash

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems obtainable today. Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from economical whitening strips on the low end to costly but usually effective skilled dental whitening services. Why do teeth become yellowed? This is because people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get exposed to antibiotics, and just plain get older. Teeth whitening is an effective path to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons going through the process do verify some improvement.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

In spite of the perplexing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are practically just 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

There is not anything intrinsically superior or deficient regarding any of these three basic techniques - each method should yield fine results. You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a fine delivery system and presume it to work. The key to the finest outcomes in tooth whitening is the whitening agent delivery method. 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.

Take Home Tray Whitening

Through 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. 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. Because the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this allows the bleaching gel to remain in contact with the teeth surface. Actually, this is the most important 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 right now available.

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 method has been successful, but you should be cautious. This method is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

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 causes chemical reactions that lead to the tooth whitening. A large number of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. Compared 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 process, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces particularly amplified 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 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 make an effort to summarize the relative effectiveness, expense, and advantages of the several 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 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 look like a bad cavity. If you don't employ a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the possibility of dealing with 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 which bleaches the teeth. This is the most comfortable, least costly, and easiest to employ tooth whitening method. This explains the popularity of this technique. But then, frequently the results aren't as nice as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.

OTC tooth whitening products ought to in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, however 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 utilize a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available with OTC products.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

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 must know in regards to the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet received this coveted designation. 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 guidelines for tooth whitening products. Only particular tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have attained the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.

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 simply desire some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. Yet, if the problem is more deep rooted, then further tooth whitening systems ought to be looked into.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow in detail all instructions. Evaluate your situation. If you are looking for a small amount of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you truly seek a wonderful bright white smile, at that time your only choice 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 natural teeth whitening.