Info on tooth whitening products

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a plethora of tooth whitening systems to be had currently. Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to pricey but generally effective professional dental whitening services. Why do teeth become yellowed? This is because people consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get exposed to antibiotics, and just plain age. Teeth whitening is an effective path to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons undergoing the approach do demonstrate some improvement.

Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening

In spite of the confusing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are in essence just 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

You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a decent delivery procedure and presume it to work. There is not anything intrinsically superior or unfavorable regarding any of these three basic techniques - each technique should yield decent results. The secret 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 unquestionably fundamental to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth.

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 which have received the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. There are varying degrees of quality to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not get involved. At any rate, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set rules for tooth whitening products. The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not become adverse to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What we should know in regards to the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has as of yet attained this coveted designation.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

The most simple tooth whitening technique is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you merely need some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. However, if the situation is more deep rooted, then further tooth whitening systems ought to be looked into.

Take Home Tray Whitening

As the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this allows the bleaching gel to stay in contact with the teeth surface. Actually, 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 maybe the most cost effective method of tooth whitening right now on hand. 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. 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.

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 approach 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 procedure, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces exceptionally 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. 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 thorough understanding of the varying strengths of peroxides used 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 make an effort to summarize the relative effectiveness, costs, and benefits 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

Whitening Strip Method

Whitening strips can do a good 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 appear similar to a bad cavity. If you do not use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the risk of dealing with irregular or spotty consequences. The next simplest tooth whitening method 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 use tooth whitening procedure. This explains the popularity of this system. However, often the results are not as superb as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.

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 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 in detail all instructions. Take a look at your situation. If you are looking for a little whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. If you particularly wish a superb bright white smile, then your sole option is a cosmetic dentist.

If you have a further interest in tooth whitening methods, you may also want to look into ionic white light activated tooth whitening system or in addition teeth whitening process.