Want whiter teeth? How to choose the best whitening method
So you thought picking out the best system for whitening your teeth was going to be as easy as choosing a new toothpaste. It’s not, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.
Even though whitening is a relatively simple type of beauty treatment, it’s still a quasi-medical procedure that, like hair dyeing, is becoming a popular at-home option.
The array of whitening products and procedures stretches from the drugstore, to the medical spa, shopping mall, cosmetics counter and finally, the dentist’s office. The do-it-yourself choices include gel-backed strips; whitening toothpaste, mouthwash and floss; brush-on whitening gel pens; and multi-product kits that contain mouthguard-like trays to contain the whitener.
One element is in common with all of them — hydrogen peroxide. Professional speed bleaching treatments achieve often-dramatic whitening in about an hour and use up to 35% hydrogen peroxide, or 10 to 15% of a similar solution, carbamide peroxide. The differences? Time, cost and ease of use.
Only dentists can prescribe whitening gels that contain more than 6% hydrogen peroxide, says Dr. Louis Amendola, D.D.S. and chief dental director for Western Dental Services, Inc., a California-based dental HMO. Most at-home kits, whether they are whitening strips or one-size-fits-all trays, use less powerful bleaching agents that are designed to be used daily for a period of days or weeks to achieve gradual color change. If your daily coffee, tea, red wine and blueberry diet has made your smile dingy, then do-it-yourself whitening products may be handy for frequent touch-ups.
However, some of the most effective at-home kits may require twice-a-day, 30-minute treatments for three weeks, according to Consumer Reports.
If you want white teeth — now — then speed bleaching in a dentist’s office is the most likely choice. However, a dentist will insist on a pre-treatment examination to be sure you don’t have tooth decay or gum disease that could cause discomfort if sensitive nerves or tissues get exposed to the bleaching agents.
Explore posts in the same categories: Cosmetic Dentistry, UncategorizedTags: at-home tooth whiteners, bleaching trays, hydrogen peroxide, oral health, teeth bleaching, teeth whitening, tooth whitening, western dental
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December 13, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Although many natural home remedies are available for Tooth Whitening, a sitting with a reputed Dentist is most recommended. Improper use of Whitening products will cause long term harm to your teeth.