Tooth Whitening - The Do’s and Dont's
The advantages of tooth whitening are numerous - extending to your business, social and personal life. Stained yellow teeth put you at a disadvantage in some social situations. Considering there is much competition in both business and social circumstances, it is surely useful to appear as presentable as achievable to be successful. Stained yellow teeth, that are so simply remedied, shouldn't get in the way of you being successful.
Some Side Effects
Two side effects frequently 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 span, putting off the process for two-three days, or use of a high fluoride gel to augment the tray, thus assisting in re-mineralizing the teeth. With a few at-home kits, you run the chance of burning your gums, or making them sore. In the situation of tooth whitening, as in many areas, you get what you pay for.
The second side effect observed is tooth sensitivity. Some affected individuals can’t stand to speak due to the fact that the airflow hurts their teeth. When and if you start experiencing tooth sensitivity, see your dentist immediately. Also, you can brush with toothpaste specially formulated for sensitive teeth.
Your Treatment Choices
You have a choice of treatment options of differing 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 procedure 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 secure from bleaching effects. The dentist can determine the optimal type of stain to meet your unique set of dental restorations. Most notably, your dentist will make a customized 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.
Tooth Whitening Tradeoffs
- Do you want as little pain and/or side effects as possible? Then pick a dentist-supervised, customized fitted tray whitening method.
- 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 like as little gum irritation as possible? Then opt for a low concentration of carbamide peroxide in the whitening gel.
- Do you want or want tooth whitening as quick as possible? Then opt for the newest laser treatment to be had at a dentist’s office.
Determine what your tradeoffs are! 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.
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 get the best results:
- Apply some aloe vera juice to your gums. Then, just before whitening, for two minutes brush your teeth with oxygenating toothpaste along with some good natural polishing agents.
- The best 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 enable a reduction in the sensitivity of your teeth and gums.
- Immediately following the teeth whitening treatment, augment the result by using an oxygenating oral rinse. Don't use a mouthwash containing alcohol, as this can in fact lower the bleaching effect.
- Follow this teeth whitening system for several days consecutively.
Who should not Start Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening might achieve some remarkable results and could well be worth the cost and time involved. However, tooth whitening is not for everybody. The list below shows those that should not engage in this technique:
- Children under the age of 16
- Pregnant/lactating women
- Darkly stained teeth (grayish or purple-stained teeth)
- Those with fillings or dental restorations.
- Persons with exposed roots, cavities, gum disease, worn enamel
- Those having allergies and sensitive teeth
- People 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 somewhat whiter than the whites of your eyes. Any further expectation of the outcome of tooth whitening is just outside the bounds of current techniques.
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!
- Try to avoid soft drinks and high coffee consumption
- Use a decent, effective mouth rinse
If you have a further interest in tooth whitening, you may also want to review how much does teeth whitening cost or additionally how much does teeth whitening cost .
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