Why a Tooth Whitening System?
Why do teeth darken? This is due to the fact that people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get exposed to antibiotics, and just plain age. Teeth whitening is an effective technique to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons undergoing the procedure do confirm 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 large amount of of tooth whitening systems available currently.
The ADA Seal of Acceptance
The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not turn out to be adverse to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What one ought to know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet attained 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 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 does not become involved. Nevertheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set guidelines for tooth whitening products.
Tooth Whitening Toothpaste
The most basic tooth whitening method is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you simply desire some uncomplicated 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 might be looked into.
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 pricey, and easiest to utilize tooth whitening procedure. This explains the popularity of this method. Yet, often the results aren't as excellent as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips are able to accomplish a fine 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 appear like a bad cavity. If you do not employ a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the risk of having irregular or spotty possible results.
OTC tooth whitening products should in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, yet with a lower concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. This is partially true, but omits the fact that dentists utilize a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something unavailable with OTC products.
Take Home Tray Whitening
With 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 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 stay in contact with the teeth surface. In fact, this is the most essential aspect of the bleaching process and is the rationale why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is perhaps 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 thoroughly 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
Judged against 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 technique, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces very 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 initiates 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 thorough understanding of the differing strengths of peroxides used in the different 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, expense, 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 |
Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening
Despite the bewildering array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are in point of fact simply 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
There's nothing intrinsically superior or bad about any of these three basic techniques - each procedure should yield fine results. You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a viable delivery technique and expect it to work. The secret to the highest quality 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 method of delivery. This is with out a doubt central to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth.
Conclusion
Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow in detail all instructions. Analyze your situation. Only if you are looking for a little whitening of your teeth, then consider an OTC tooth whitening system. If you particularly seek 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
whitening or in addition
dental tooth whitening.
