Why a Tooth Whitening System?
Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from economical whitening strips on the low end to pricey but for the most part effective expert dental whitening services. Why do teeth darken? This is due to the fact that 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 approach do confirm some improvement. There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems obtainable today.
Three Main Approaches to Tooth Whitening
In the face of the confusing 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 administered whitening using OTC bleaching products
The key to the highest quality outcomes 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 procedure of delivery. This is absolutely fundamental to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. There is not anything intrinsically superb or deficient regarding any of these three basic techniques - each system should yield fine outcomes. You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a viable delivery technique and expect it to work.
The ADA Seal of Acceptance
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 a person ought to know about the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet earned this coveted designation. There are differing levels of quality to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not get involved. Nonetheless, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set guidelines for tooth whitening products. Only certain tray-based dentist-dispensed products have the ADA Seal. In all the at-home tooth whiteners that have received the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.
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 just desire some uncomplicated maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. However, if the problem is more deep rooted, then further tooth whitening systems should be looked into.
Take Home Tray Whitening
Through a take home tooth whitening tray method, 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. In essence, this is the most significant aspect of the bleaching process and is the rationale why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is possibly 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 approach has been successful, but you should be careful. This approach is not recommended by the ADA.
Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening
Compared to OTC products, dentists typically 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 especially amplified whitening effects. With a procedure such as 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. 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 varying strengths of peroxides used in the various 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, expense, and benefits 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 approach is the whitening strip technique. 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 system. This explains the popularity of this approach. But then, often the outcomes are not as superb as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips are able to 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 seem similar to a bad cavity. If you do not utilize a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the possibility of experiencing irregular or spotty consequences.
OTC tooth whitening products ought to in principle provide the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, yet with a decreased concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer period of time. This is partially true, but omits the fact that dentists use 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. Analyze your situation. Providing you are looking for a small amount of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you truly seek a fantastic 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
best teeth whiting or in addition
toothwhitening.
