Why a Tooth Whitening System?
Why do teeth become yellowed? This is because 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 those undergoing the process do show some improvement. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to expensive but usually effective skilled dental whitening services. There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems available today.
Take Home Tray Whitening
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 consequently 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 fact, this is the most important aspect of the bleaching process and is the explanation why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is perhaps the most cost effective method of tooth whitening now on hand.
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 carefully 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. The majority of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. Contrasted to OTC products, dentists mostly use a higher concentration of bleaching compound with a laser tooth whitening system like Britesmile® or Zoom® tooth whitening. With a laser whitening technique, the exactly defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces very enhanced whitening effects.
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 following table, we try to summarize the relative effectiveness, costs, 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 |
Whitening Strip Method
The next simplest tooth whitening technique 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 costly, and easiest to employ tooth whitening technique. This explains the popularity of this technique. However, often the possible results aren't as nice as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips are able to 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 might look like a bad cavity. If you don't use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the possibility of possessing irregular or spotty results.
OTC tooth whitening products ought to in principle come up with the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, yet with a lessened concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. This is partially true, but omits the reality that dentists use a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something unavailable with OTC products.
The ADA Seal of Acceptance
The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not become bad to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What we ought to know about the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet attained this coveted designation. There are differing degrees of value to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not become involved. Nonetheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products. Only particular tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have earned the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.
Tooth Whitening Toothpaste
The most uncomplicated tooth whitening technique is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you merely want some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. However, if the situation is more deep rooted, then additional tooth whitening systems ought to be looked into.
Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening
Notwithstanding the bewildering array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are basically 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 highest quality outcomes 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 with out a doubt fundamental to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There's nothing intrinsically superb or unfavorable regarding any of these three basic approaches - each approach should yield decent results. You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a fine delivery procedure and presume it to work.
Conclusion
Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow carefully all instructions. Analyze your circumstances. Only if you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. If you particularly desire an excellent 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
white teeth or in addition
teeth whitening during pregnancy.
