Info on whitening teeth

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a good amount of of tooth whitening systems obtainable currently. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low cost whitening strips on the low end to costly but for the most part effective specialized dental whitening services. Why do teeth darken? This is because people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get 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 going through the process do show some improvement.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

There are varying degrees of value to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not get involved. Nevertheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products. 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 one should know in regards to the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet earned this coveted designation. Only a small amount of tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners that have obtained the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

The most simple tooth whitening method is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you simply require some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. However, if the situation is more deep rooted, then more tooth whitening systems ought to be looked into.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening approach is the whitening strip system. 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 pricey, and easiest to utilize tooth whitening system. This explains the popularity of this approach. However, often the possible results aren't as good as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips can do 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 could look similar to a bad cavity. If you do not utilize a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the possibility of having irregular or spotty possible results.

OTC tooth whitening products could 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 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.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Despite 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 directed whitening using OTC bleaching products

The key 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 procedure of delivery. This is definitely critical to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a decent delivery technique and expect it to work. There's nothing intrinsically good or bad about any of these three basic approaches - each system should yield good results.

Take Home Tray Whitening

Due to the fact that the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this allows the bleaching gel to remain in contact with the teeth surface. In essence, this is the most critical 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 now out there. 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. 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 consequently 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 should be careful. This approach 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 initiates chemical reactions that cause the tooth whitening. Most people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. Compared 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 process, 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 give the reader a broad understanding of the differing strengths of peroxides utilized 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 try to summarize the relative effectiveness, prices, and advantages of the various 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 in detail all instructions. Take a look at your condition. Only if you are looking for a little whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. If you particularly seek a wonderful bright white smile, at that time your sole option is a cosmetic dentist.

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