Info on tooth whitening gel

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low-priced whitening strips on the low end to costly but generally effective specialized dental whitening services. Why do teeth darken? This is because people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, become exposed to antibiotics, and just plain get older. Teeth whitening is an effective technique to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of those experiencing the process do confirm some improvement. There is a plethora of tooth whitening systems available today.

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 that have attained the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. There are differing levels of value to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA doesn't get involved. Nonetheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products. 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 about the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet received this coveted designation.

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 uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. Yet, if the problem is more deep rooted, then additional tooth whitening systems ought to be looked into.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

In the face of the bewildering array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are essentially 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 directed whitening using OTC bleaching products

You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a good delivery system and expect it to work. The key to the most ideal results 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 system of delivery. This is absolutely necessary to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There is not anything intrinsically superb or deficient about any of these three basic techniques - each approach could yield top notch results.

Whitening Strip Method

Whitening strips might 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 could seem like a bad cavity. If you do not use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of dealing with irregular or spotty consequences. The next simplest tooth whitening technique 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 utilize tooth whitening procedure. This explains the popularity of this approach. But then, often the possible results are not as excellent as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.

OTC tooth whitening products should in principle come up with the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, however with a lowered concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. This is partially true, but omits the reality that dentists employ a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something unavailable with OTC products.

Take Home Tray Whitening

Due to the fact that the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this allows the bleaching gel to keep in contact with the teeth surface. Truly, 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 presently out there. 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. Later, 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 then 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 completely on your own. You must closely follow all the instructions. This method has been successful, but you should be careful. This method 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 process, the exactly defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces remarkably amplified whitening effects. 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 trigger the tooth whitening. A large number of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months.

A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening

The following table will give the reader a broad understanding of the varying strengths of peroxides utilized 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 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. If you are looking for a small amount of whitening of your teeth, then consider an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you truly want an excellent bright white smile, then your only option is a cosmetic dentist.

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