Info on teeth whitening product

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems accessible today. Why do teeth become yellowed? This is due to the fact that 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 those experiencing the process do demonstrate some improvement. Tooth whitening systems provide a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from low cost whitening strips on the low end to costly but for the most part effective skilled dental whitening services.

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Despite the perplexing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are practically 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

You clearly can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a good delivery method and presume it to work. There's not anything intrinsically superb or unfavorable about any of these three basic approaches - each approach can yield decent outcomes. The secret to the best 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 procedure of delivery. This is unquestionably central to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth.

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. 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. Because the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this allows the bleaching gel to remain in contact with the teeth surface. In fact, 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 probably the most cost effective method of tooth whitening right now 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 thoroughly follow all the instructions. This method has been successful, but you must be cautious. This approach is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

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. The majority of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. 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 procedure, the exactly defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces exceptionally amplified whitening effects.

A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening

The following table will give the reader a broad understanding of the varying 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 make an effort to summarize the relative effectiveness, expense, and advantages 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

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 acquired the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. 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 must know about the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet earned this coveted designation. There are varying degrees of worth 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.

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

The most uncomplicated tooth whitening system is tooth whitening toothpaste (which is a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda). If you just need some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the way to go. But, if the difficulty is more deep rooted, then additional tooth whitening systems might be looked into.

Whitening Strip Method

Whitening strips are able to accomplish 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 could appear like a bad cavity. If you do not utilize a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the chance of possessing irregular or spotty possible results. 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 which bleaches the teeth. This is the most comfortable, least costly, and easiest to use tooth whitening approach. This explains the popularity of this technique. However, often the outcomes aren't as good as those outcomes seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems.

OTC tooth whitening products ought to in principle come up with the identical tooth whitening effect as a visit to a dentist office, however with a lowered concentration of the peroxide (5% - 10%), and over a longer time period. This is partially true, but omits the reality that dentists employ a laser tooth whitening system as well as bleach, something not available 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 condition. If you are looking for a bit of whitening of your teeth, then think about an OTC tooth whitening system. If you particularly desire a magnificent 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 teeth whitening before and after or in addition toothwhitening.