Why a Tooth Whitening System?
Why do teeth darken? This is due to the fact that individuals 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 persons going through the procedure do show some improvement. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low-priced whitening strips on the low end to pricey but mostly effective expert dental whitening services. There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems available today.
Whitening Strip Method
The next simplest tooth whitening approach is the whitening strip approach. You place tooth bleaching tape on your front teeth. This tape is flexible, and contains the gel which bleaches the teeth. This is the most comfortable, least expensive, and easiest to use tooth whitening technique. This explains the popularity of this system. But then, frequently the results aren't as nice as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips might accomplish 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 could seem similar to a bad cavity. If you don't use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the possibility of experiencing irregular or spotty consequences.
OTC tooth whitening products can in principle come up with the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, but 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 employ a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available with OTC products.
Take Home Tray Whitening
Through 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. Later, 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 subsequently worn for one to two hours at home at a convenient time by the tooth whitening patient. Due to the fact that the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this permits the bleaching gel to remain in contact with the teeth surface. Truly, this is the most critical aspect of the bleaching process and is the rationale why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is probably 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 completely on your own. You must closely follow all the instructions. This approach has been successful, but you must be careful. This system 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 causes 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 generally use a higher concentration of bleaching compound with a laser tooth whitening system like Britesmile® or Zoom® tooth whitening. With a laser whitening procedure, the exactly defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces remarkably amplified whitening effects.
A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening
The following table will provide the reader a broad understanding of the differing strengths of peroxides utilized in the several 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, costs, and advantages of the several 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 |
The ADA Seal of Acceptance
There are varying levels of value to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not get involved. Nevertheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set guidelines for tooth whitening products. The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not be adverse to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What a person should know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet attained this coveted designation. Only certain tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners which have attained the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.
Tooth Whitening Toothpaste
The most uncomplicated tooth whitening approach is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you simply want some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. Yet, if the situation is more deep rooted, then further tooth whitening systems might be looked into.
Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening
In spite of the confusing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are essentially 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
The key to the best 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 definitely necessary to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There's not anything intrinsically superior or unfavorable about any of these three basic techniques - each approach can yield nice 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 closely all instructions. Review your circumstances. Only if you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you really seek a wonderful bright white smile, then your sole choice is a cosmetic dentist.
If you have a further interest in tooth whitening methods, you may also want to look into
light activated tooth whitening or in addition
toothwhitening.
