Info on dentist tooth whitening

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems available today. Why do teeth darken? This is due to the fact that individuals consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, become exposed to antibiotics, and just plain age. Teeth whitening is an effective path to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of those undergoing the approach do show some improvement. Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to costly but for the most part effective expert dental whitening services.

The ADA Seal of Acceptance

Only particular tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners that have received the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. 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 one should know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet earned this coveted designation. There are differing levels of value to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not become involved. At any rate, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products.

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 merely require some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. Yet, if the difficulty is more deep rooted, then more tooth whitening systems should be looked into.

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. 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. As the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this permits the bleaching gel to stay in contact with the teeth surface. In fact, this is the most pivotal aspect of the bleaching process and is the rationale why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is possibly the most cost effective method of tooth whitening currently available.

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

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

Contrasted 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 process, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces particularly enhanced 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 leads to 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 provide the reader a broad understanding of the varying 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 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

Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening

In spite of the confusing 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

There's not anything intrinsically superb or bad about any of these three basic approaches - each technique could yield nice results. You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a viable delivery system and presume it to work. The key to the finest 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 definitely needed to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth.

Whitening Strip Method

Whitening strips can accomplish 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 may seem like a bad cavity. If you don't employ a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the risk of experiencing irregular or spotty results. 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 expensive, and easiest to utilize tooth whitening approach. This explains the popularity of this method. However, often the possible results are not as good as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.

OTC tooth whitening products can 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 period of time. This is partially true, but omits the fact that dentists employ a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something unavailable with OTC products.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow carefully all instructions. Take a look at your circumstances. If you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you truly desire a wonderful bright white smile, then your only choice is a cosmetic dentist.

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