Tooth Whitening - The Do’s and Dont's
Stained yellow teeth, which are so simply remedied, should not get in the way of you being successful. Stained yellow teeth put you at a disadvantage in certain social circumstances. Considering there is much competition in both business and social situations, it is surely useful to appear as presentable as possible to be successful. The bonuses of tooth whitening are many - extending to your business, social and personal life.
Who should not Start Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening can achieve some remarkable results and could well be worth the cost and time involved. But then, tooth whitening is not for all of us. The list below indicates those that shouldn't engage in this technique:
- Children under the age of 16
- Pregnant/lactating women
- Darkly stained teeth (grayish or purple-stained teeth)
- People with fillings or dental restorations.
- Persons with exposed roots, cavities, gum disease, worn enamel
- Individuals having allergies and sensitive teeth
- Individuals with unrealistic expectations
- Teeth with dark gray stains or crowns
In regards to unrealistic expectations, understand that the whitening of your teeth will lead to a color slightly whiter than the whites of your eyes. Any additional expectation of the outcome of tooth whitening is just outside the bounds of present techniques.
Determine what your tradeoffs are! When selecting a whitener you should look for the ADA Seal for safety and effectiveness. Tooth whiteners, gels or strips contain carbamide or hydrogen peroxide as the active bleaching ingredients.
Some Tricks of the Trade
If you choose to proceed with the Tooth Whitening process, also make certain you do the following Therabreath Recommendations to come up with the top results:
- Apply some aloe vera juice to your gums. At that time, just before whitening, for two minutes brush your teeth with oxygenating toothpaste along with some good natural polishing agents.
- The better home tooth whitening systems use a moldable tray system containing a mouthpiece you can personally fit to your mouth. You mold them by soaking them for a few seconds in warm water, then you press the plastic down or up against your teeth and gums. When the plastic cools you have a fine fitting, soft plastic mouthpiece that is just right for your particular teeth and face.
- Use a strong teeth whitening gel to ensure that the time your teeth are in contact with the whitening gel is well spent. Use a 21% carbamide peroxide concentrated teeth whitening gel, not containing any glycerin, that will enable a reduction in the sensitivity of your teeth and gums.
- Right away after the teeth whitening treatment, improve the result by using an oxygenating oral rinse. Do not use a mouthwash containing alcohol, as this can in reality decrease the bleaching effect.
- Follow this teeth whitening system for several days consecutively.
Tooth Whitening Tradeoffs
- Do you desire as little pain and/or side effects as possible? Then choose a dentist-supervised, customized fitted tray whitening approach.
- Do you wish to spend as little as possible? Then choose an over the counter kit, but be prepared to carry out everything yourself.
- Do you want as little gum irritation as possible? Then opt for a low concentration of carbamide peroxide in the whitening gel.
- Do you desire or want tooth whitening as quick as possible? Then opt for the new laser treatment accessible at a dentist’s office.
Some Side Effects
With certain at-home kits, you run the chance of burning your gums, or making them sore. In the situation of tooth whitening, as in most areas, you get what you pay for. Two side effects repeatedly seen are irritation of the soft mouth tissues (the gums) and an increase in tooth sensitivity. Irritation of the mouth tissues frequently is caused by a poorly fitted mouthpiece tray and not the tooth bleaching chemical. To lessen the mouth tissue irritation, various treatment options could be followed. These include wearing the tray for a shorter time period, putting off the procedure for two-three days, or use of a high fluoride gel to add to the tray, thus assisting in re-mineralizing the teeth.
The second side effect observed is tooth sensitivity. A few affected individuals can’t stand to speak because the airflow hurts their teeth. If you start having tooth sensitivity, see your dentist right away. Also, you can brush with toothpaste specially formulated for sensitive teeth.
Your Treatment Choices
You have a selection of treatment options of varying cost and effectiveness:
- Over the counter gels ($15) and whitening strips ($10 - $55 for a 14-day treatment)
- Tray-based tooth whitening systems ($20 - $150)
- Dentist supervised home bleaching systems ($300 - $600)
Compare the full, dentist supervised process to an over the counter tooth whitening product, where you are completely on your own. With the dentist administered tooth whitening, your oral cavity and gums are protected from bleaching effects. The dentist can determine the optimal type of stain to meet your distinct set of dental restorations. Most significantly, your dentist is able to make an individualized mouthpiece tray, exactly fitted to your mouth. This results in maximal exposure of your teeth to the whitening agent and little pain to your gums and oral tissue.
Remember, to make those newly whitened teeth to last longer post-whitening, make sure you carry out the following:
- Brush your teeth minimally twice a day!
- Floss on a daily basis
- Quit smoking!
- Make every effort to stay away from soft drinks and excessive coffee consumption
- Use a top notch, effective mouth rinse
If you have a further interest in tooth whitening, you may also want to review whitening of teeth or in addition best teeth whiteners .
|