Info on teeth whiting

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems accessible today. Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low cost whitening strips on the low end to pricey but for the most part effective professional dental whitening services. Why do teeth darken? This is because individuals consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, become 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 going through the system do verify some improvement.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not be bad to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What we must know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has 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 doesn't 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 that have earned the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.

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 merely desire some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. However, if the problem is more deep rooted, then more tooth whitening systems might be looked into.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening approach 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 costly, and easiest to use tooth whitening approach. This explains the popularity of this method. However, often the results are not as superb as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips might do a fine 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 appear similar to a bad cavity. If you do not employ a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of experiencing irregular or spotty possible results.

OTC tooth whitening products should in principle come up with the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, yet 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 employ a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something unavailable with OTC products.

Take Home Tray Whitening

Through 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. Later, 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. As the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this permits the bleaching gel to remain in contact with the teeth surface. In essence, this is the most essential aspect of the bleaching process and is the explanation why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is possibly the most cost effective method of tooth whitening currently out there.

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 closely follow all the instructions. This approach has been successful, but you should be careful. This method is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

Judged against to OTC products, dentists usually 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 precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces remarkably amplified 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 trigger the tooth whitening. Most 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 broad understanding of the varying 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 try to summarize the relative effectiveness, expense, 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

Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Notwithstanding the perplexing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are practically simply three (3) approaches to whitening one’s teeth:

• Dental in-office bleaching
• Self-applied night-time bleaching using a tailored tray or a polyethylene strip
• Individual directed whitening using OTC bleaching products

You just can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a good delivery system and expect it to work. The secret to the most ideal outcomes in tooth whitening is the whitening agent delivery technique. In all the tooth whitening methods, the tooth bleaching gel is kept in place by a system of delivery. This is unquestionably fundamental to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There's nothing intrinsically superb or bad regarding any of these three basic approaches - each system could yield nice results.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow closely all instructions. Analyze your circumstances. Providing you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then contemplate an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you truly wish a great 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 best teeth whiting or in addition teeth whitening treatment.