Tooth Whitening - The Do’s and Dont's
The bonuses of tooth whitening are many - extending to your business, social and personal life. Stained yellow teeth, that are so easily remedied, should not get in the way of you being successful. Stained yellow teeth put you at a disadvantage in particular social situations. Considering there is a good amount of competition in both business and social situations, it is surely useful to appear as presentable as possible to be successful.
Specific Side Effects
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 often 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 span, halting the process for two-three days, or use of a high fluoride gel to add to the tray, thus assisting in re-mineralizing the teeth. With certain at-home kits, you run the chance of burning your gums, or making them sore. In the case of tooth whitening, as in many areas, you get what you pay for.
The second side effect observed is tooth sensitivity. Some affected people can’t stand to speak because the airflow hurts their teeth. When and if you start undergoing tooth sensitivity, see your dentist immediately. Also, you can brush with toothpaste specially formulated for sensitive teeth.
Your Treatment Options
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 administered home bleaching systems ($300 - $600)
Compare the full, dentist supervised process to an over the counter tooth whitening product, where you are totally on your own. With the dentist supervised tooth whitening, your oral cavity and gums are secure from bleaching effects. The dentist can determine the optimal type of stain to meet your unique set of dental restorations. Most importantly, your dentist is able to make a customized mouthpiece tray, precisely fitted to your mouth. This results in maximal exposure of your teeth to the whitening agent and miniscule pain to your gums and oral tissue.
Determine what your tradeoffs might be! When deciding on a whitener you ought to look for the ADA Seal for safety and effectiveness. Tooth whiteners, gels or strips contain carbamide or hydrogen peroxide as the active bleaching ingredients.
Who should not Start Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening might achieve some remarkable results and should well be worth the cost and time involved. Yet, tooth whitening is not for everybody. The list below suggests those who shouldn't engage in this technique:
- Children under the age of 16
- Pregnant/lactating women
- Darkly stained teeth (grayish or purple-stained teeth)
- Persons with fillings or dental restorations.
- Those 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
Regarding unrealistic expectations, understand that the whitening of your teeth will lead to a color somewhat whiter than the whites of your eyes. Any additional expectation of the outcome of tooth whitening is simply outside the bounds of present techniques.
Some Tricks of the Trade
If you choose to proceed with the Tooth Whitening process, also make sure you do the following Therabreath Recommendations to attain the most ideal results:
- Apply some aloe vera juice to your gums. Then, just before whitening, for two minutes brush your teeth with oxygenating toothpaste combined 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 nice 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 allow a reduction in the sensitivity of your teeth and gums.
- Right away following the teeth whitening treatment, enhance the result by using an oxygenating oral rinse. Don't use a mouthwash containing alcohol, as this can actually decrease the bleaching effect.
- Follow this teeth whitening system for several days consecutively.
Tooth Whitening Tradeoffs
- Do you like as minimal pain and/or side effects as possible? Then choose a dentist-supervised, personalized fitted tray whitening process.
- Do you desire to spend as little as possible? Then select 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 need or want tooth whitening as quick as possible? Then opt for the newest laser treatment accessible at a dentist’s office.
Recall, to cause those newly whitened teeth to persist longer post-whitening, make sure you do the following:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day!
- Floss on a daily basis
- Quit smoking!
- Try to steer clear of soft drinks and high coffee consumption
- Use a top notch, effective mouth rinse
If you have a further interest in tooth whitening, you may also want to review teeth whitening product reviews or in addition peroxide teeth whitening .
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