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 circumstances. Considering there is a good amount of competition in both business and social situations, it is with out a doubt useful to appear as presentable as achievable to be successful. Stained yellow teeth, which are so simply remedied, should not get in the way of you being successful.
Tooth Whitening Tradeoffs
- Do you want as minimal pain and/or side effects as possible? Then pick a dentist-supervised, customized fitted tray whitening technique.
- Do you want to spend as little as possible? Then select an over the counter kit, but be ready 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 require or want tooth whitening as quick as possible? Then opt for the latest 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 often is caused by a poorly fitted mouthpiece tray and not the tooth bleaching chemical. To lessen the mouth tissue irritation, different treatment options could be followed. These include wearing the tray for a shorter time span, suspending 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 some at-home kits, you run the risk 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 seen is tooth sensitivity. Some affected individuals can’t stand to speak because the airflow hurts their teeth. 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 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 procedure to an over the counter tooth whitening product, where you are totally 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 importantly, your dentist will be 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.
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 suggests 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)
- Individuals with fillings or dental restorations.
- Persons with exposed roots, cavities, gum disease, worn enamel
- Individuals having allergies and sensitive teeth
- People 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 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 might be! When opting for 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 decide to proceed with the Tooth Whitening process, also make sure you do the following Therabreath Recommendations to obtain the best results:
- Apply some aloe vera juice to your gums. At that time, just before whitening, for two minutes brush your teeth with oxygenating toothpaste plus some good natural polishing agents.
- The highest quality 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 push 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.
- Immediately following the teeth whitening treatment, augment the result by using an oxygenating oral rinse. Do not use a mouthwash containing alcohol, as this can in reality reduce the bleaching effect.
- Follow this teeth whitening system for several days consecutively.
Remember, 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 avoid soft drinks and excessive coffee consumption
- Use a good, effective mouth rinse
If you have a further interest in tooth whitening, you may also want to review peroxide or additionally tooth whitening cost .
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