Info on tooth bleaching

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Why do teeth become yellowed? This is because individuals consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, become exposed to antibiotics, and just plain get older. Teeth whitening is an effective course to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of those undergoing the process do confirm some improvement. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low cost whitening strips on the low end to pricey but mostly effective professional dental whitening services. There is a good amount of of tooth whitening systems available currently.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not become harmful to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What we ought to know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet attained this coveted designation. 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 differing degrees of quality 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.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

The most basic tooth whitening approach 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. However, if the difficulty is more deep rooted, then additional tooth whitening systems might be looked into.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Notwithstanding the perplexing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are actually simply 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 viable delivery system and presume it to work. There is nothing intrinsically superb or deficient regarding any of these three basic techniques - each technique should yield decent outcomes. The key to the highest quality 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 procedure of delivery. This is with out a doubt fundamental to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening approach is the whitening strip approach. 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 employ tooth whitening approach. This explains the popularity of this approach. But then, often the outcomes are not as superb as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips might do 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 might look similar to a bad cavity. If you don't utilize a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of possessing irregular or spotty consequences.

OTC tooth whitening products ought to in principle come up with 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 period of time. This is partially true, but omits the fact that dentists use a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available with OTC products.

Take Home Tray Whitening

Because the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this permits the bleaching gel to remain in contact with the teeth surface. In fact, 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 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. 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 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 closely follow all the instructions. This method has been successful, but you must be careful. This technique 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 leads to chemical reactions that trigger the tooth whitening. A good number of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. Contrasted 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 system, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces especially amplified whitening effects.

A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening

The following table will provide the reader a broad understanding of the varying 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 ensuing table, we make an attempt to summarize the relative effectiveness, prices, 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

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow closely all instructions. Take a look at your circumstances. Providing you are looking for a small amount of whitening of your teeth, then consider an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you truly wish a fantastic bright white smile, at that time your sole choice is a cosmetic dentist.

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