Info on teeth whiting

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from economical whitening strips on the low end to pricey but generally effective professional dental whitening services. Why do teeth become yellowed? This is due to the fact that people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get exposed to antibiotics, and just plain get older. Teeth whitening is an effective way to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons undergoing the system do confirm some improvement. There is a good amount of of tooth whitening systems obtainable currently.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

Only a small amount of tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have received the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. There are varying degrees of quality to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA doesn't get involved. At any rate, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set guidelines 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 we ought to know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet earned this coveted designation.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

The most simple tooth whitening approach is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you just require some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. Yet, if the problem is more deep rooted, then other tooth whitening systems might be looked into.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Notwithstanding the bewildering array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are in essence only 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 administered whitening using OTC bleaching products

The secret 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 unquestionably needed to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. You simply can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a good delivery system and expect it to work. There is nothing intrinsically good or bad regarding any of these three basic approaches - each technique can yield good results.

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. Then, 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 then 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 keep 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 presently available.

An OTC kit is similar to the take home whitening tray fitted at the dentist’s office, but in this case, you are completely on your own. You must closely follow all the instructions. This procedure has been successful, but you should be careful. This approach is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

Compared to OTC products, dentists generally 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 exceptionally enhanced whitening effects. With a procedure such as 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 cause the tooth whitening. The majority of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months.

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 ensuing table, we make an attempt to summarize the relative effectiveness, costs, and benefits 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

Whitening Strip Method

Whitening strips can 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 might seem like a bad cavity. If you do not use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the possibility of dealing with irregular or spotty results. The next simplest tooth whitening system is the whitening strip procedure. 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 procedure. This explains the popularity of this system. However, often the results aren't 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, however with a decreased concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. 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.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow carefully all instructions. Assess your situation. Providing you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. If you truly wish a great 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 dentists or in addition teeth whitening pregnancy.