Info on teeth whitening prices

Why a Tooth Whitening System?

There is a great deal of tooth whitening systems to be had today. 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 way to reverse this process, and is so successful that 95% of those going through the system do confirm some improvement. Tooth whitening systems offer a wide spectrum of alternatives, ranging from inexpensive whitening strips on the low end to costly but typically effective specialized dental whitening services.

Whitening Strip Method

The next simplest tooth whitening approach is the whitening strip procedure. 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 utilize tooth whitening method. This explains the popularity of this system. But then, often the outcomes are not as excellent as those results seen with the tray-based methods or in-office laser tooth whitening systems. Whitening strips are able to do a fine job of whitening the exterior tooth surfaces, but achieve a poor job of bleaching the teeth divisions and cracks. A dark division between whitened teeth may look like a bad cavity. If you do not use a tray-based tooth whitening system, you run the possibility of dealing with irregular or spotty possible results.

OTC tooth whitening products should 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 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.

Take Home Tray Whitening

Due to the fact that the bleaching tray is so custom fitted, this permits the bleaching gel to keep in contact with the teeth surface. Actually, 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 possibly the most cost effective method of tooth whitening presently out there. With 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. 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 utterly on your own. You must carefully follow all the instructions. This technique has been successful, but you must be careful. This method is not recommended by the ADA.

Dentist-supervised laser tooth whitening

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 lead to the tooth whitening. A large number of people do a Zoom® tooth whitening once every six months. Judged against 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 exactly defined light frequency combined with a proprietary bleaching chemical produces very amplified whitening effects.

A comparison of peroxide concentrations in tooth whitening

The following table will provide the reader a broad 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 ensuing table, we make an effort 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

Three Primary Approaches to Tooth Whitening

Notwithstanding the perplexing array of dentist and over the counter (OTC) products, there are in essence only 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

The secret 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 critical to keep the gel in contact with the surface of the tooth. You simply can’t put a bleaching agent on your teeth without a viable delivery technique and expect it to work. There's nothing intrinsically superior or unfavorable regarding any of these three basic techniques - each procedure could yield superb outcomes.

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 that have received the ADA Seal, the active ingredient is a 10% carbamide peroxide solution. 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. 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 one ought to know about the ADA seal of acceptance is that no OTC product has yet received this coveted designation.

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 merely want some simple maintenance of prior tooth whitening, then this is the direction to go. But, if the situation is more deep rooted, then other tooth whitening systems might be looked into.

Conclusion

Whatever tooth whitening system you prefer, always seek the advice of your dentist and follow closely all instructions. Analyze your circumstances. Only 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 an excellent 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 prices or in addition tooth whitening products.