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 put you at a disadvantage in particular social situations. Given there is much competition in both business and social circumstances, it is certainly useful to appear as presentable as achievable to be successful. Stained yellow teeth, which are so easily remedied, should not get in the way of you being successful.
Some Tricks of the Trade
If you decide to proceed with the Tooth Whitening process, also make certain you do the following Therabreath Recommendations to attain the finest results:
- Apply some aloe vera juice to your gums. Then, just before whitening, for two minutes brush your teeth with oxygenating toothpaste plus 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 superb 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 subsequent to the teeth whitening treatment, augment the result by using an oxygenating oral rinse. Don't use a mouthwash containing alcohol, as this can in reality reduce the bleaching effect.
- Follow this teeth whitening system for several days consecutively.
Determine what your tradeoffs might be! 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 Side Effects
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 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 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, 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 seen is tooth sensitivity. A few affected people can’t stand to speak because the airflow hurts their teeth. When and if you start experiencing tooth sensitivity, see your dentist right away. Also, you can brush with toothpaste specially formulated for sensitive teeth.
Your Treatment Options
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 supervised home bleaching systems ($300 - $600)
With the dentist administered tooth whitening, your oral cavity and gums are guarded 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. Compare the full, dentist supervised process to an over the counter tooth whitening product, where you are completely on your own.
Who should not Start Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening can achieve some remarkable results and could well be worth the cost and time involved. However, tooth whitening is not for all of us. The list below shows those who 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
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 other expectation of the outcome of tooth whitening is just outside the bounds of current techniques.
Tooth Whitening Tradeoffs
- Do you like as little pain and/or side effects as possible? Then choose a dentist-supervised, tailored 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 the latest laser treatment to be had at a dentist’s office.
Remember, to cause those newly whitened teeth to go on 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 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 best teeth whiteners or also tooth whitening systems .
|