Why a Tooth Whitening System?
Why do teeth become yellowed? This is because individuals consume caffeine-containing drinks, smoke, get exposed to antibiotics, and just plain age. Teeth whitening is an effective course to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of persons undergoing the process do confirm some improvement. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low cost whitening strips on the low end to costly but usually effective professional dental whitening services. There is a large amount of of tooth whitening systems available today.
Whitening Strip Method
Whitening strips might 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 use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the possibility of having irregular or spotty possible results. The next simplest tooth whitening method is the whitening strip procedure. 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 employ tooth whitening method. This explains the popularity of this method. 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.
OTC tooth whitening products should in principle come up with the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, yet with a lessened concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. This is partially true, but omits the reality that dentists utilize a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available with OTC products.
Take Home Tray Whitening
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 pivotal aspect of the bleaching process and is the explanation why tray based bleaching systems have been so successful. This is perhaps the most cost effective method of tooth whitening right now on hand. With 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. Subsequently, 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 carefully follow all the instructions. This procedure has been successful, but you should be careful. This approach is not recommended by the ADA.
Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening
Contrasted 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 process, the precisely defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces very 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 cause the tooth whitening. A good number of 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 utilized 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 make an effort to summarize the relative effectiveness, costs, and benefits of the diverse 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 Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening
Despite the perplexing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are actually 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 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. There's nothing intrinsically good or deficient about any of these three basic techniques - each procedure could yield decent outcomes. The key to the most ideal outcomes in tooth whitening is the whitening agent delivery system. 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.
The ADA Seal of Acceptance
There are varying degrees of value to all these whitening systems. This is an area that the U.S. FDA does not become involved. At any rate, the American Dental Association (ADA) does set guidelines for tooth whitening products. The ADA guideline for a whitener requires that it not turn out to be bad to the soft tissues of the mouth or the teeth, and that a whitener can effectively whiten teeth. What we must know regarding the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has 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 which have acquired the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution.
Tooth Whitening Toothpaste
The most basic tooth whitening approach is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you simply desire some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. However, if the situation is more deep rooted, then more tooth whitening systems might be looked into.
Conclusion
Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow in detail all instructions. Assess your condition. If you are looking for a small amount of whitening of your teeth, then contemplate an OTC tooth whitening system. Provided that you really want a wonderful bright white smile, at that time your only option is a cosmetic dentist.
If you have a further interest in tooth whitening methods, you may also want to look into
lazer teeth whitening or in addition
tooth whitening cost.
