Tooth Whitening - The Do’s and Dont's
Stained yellow teeth put you at a disadvantage in certain social situations. Given there is much competition in both business and social situations, it is with out a doubt useful to appear as presentable as possible to be successful. The advantages of tooth whitening are many - extending to your business, social and personal life. Stained yellow teeth, that are so simply remedied, shouldn't get in the way of you being successful.
Tooth Whitening Tradeoffs
- Do you desire as minimal pain and/or side effects as possible? Then choose a dentist-supervised, personalized fitted tray whitening technique.
- Do you seek to spend as little as possible? Then choose an over the counter kit, but be ready 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 want or want tooth whitening as quick as possible? Then opt for the newest laser treatment obtainable at a dentist’s office.
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 frequently is caused by a poorly fitted mouthpiece tray and not the tooth bleaching chemical. To remedy the mouth tissue irritation, several treatment options could be followed. These include wearing the tray for a shorter time period, halting 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 certain at-home kits, you run the possibility 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 individuals can’t stand to talk because the airflow hurts their teeth. If you start undergoing tooth sensitivity, see your dentist right away. 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 supervised home bleaching systems ($300 - $600)
With the dentist supervised tooth whitening, your oral cavity and gums are guarded from bleaching effects. The dentist can determine the optimal type of stain to match your distinct set of dental restorations. Most significantly, your dentist will be able to make an individualized mouthpiece tray, precisely fitted to your mouth. This results in maximal exposure of your teeth to the whitening agent and minimal pain to your gums and oral tissue. Compare the full, dentist supervised process to an over the counter tooth whitening product, where you are totally on your own.
Determine what your tradeoffs are! When deciding on 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.
Who should not Start Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening could achieve some remarkable results and could well be worth the cost and time involved. However, tooth whitening is not for everybody. The list below indicates 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)
- Persons with fillings or dental restorations.
- Individuals 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 further expectation of the outcome of tooth whitening is just 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 obtain 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 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 enable a reduction in the sensitivity of your teeth and gums.
- Immediately following the teeth whitening treatment, enhance the result by using an oxygenating oral rinse. Don't use a mouthwash containing alcohol, as this can in reality lower the bleaching effect.
- Follow this teeth whitening system for several days consecutively.
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!
- Make every effort to stay away from 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 whitelight tooth whitening system review or in addition teeth whitening products .
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