All You Need to Know About Teeth Whitening Products
Everyone wants to look younger, and having whiter teeth is one easy way to help take off the years. Because of the advances in teeth whitening products and the fact that dental professionals have accepted these advances and facilitated their popularity, there are been many more options than ever before. Each of these teeth whitening products has pros and cons, but getting whiter teeth is easier than ever.
Having Your Dentist Involved
The quickest, easiest, and most successful option is to have laser teeth whitening done in your dentist's office. This method uses 37% peroxide, with a pH of about 7. With this product, the teeth whitening takes about 24 minutes, though the visit will be closer to an hour including pre- and post- treatment activities. This is usually the most expensive method of using teeth whitening products.
Another option in the dentist's office is to have a fully professional tooth whitening done. Generally, your dentist will make a mold of your teeth, from which the dentist will make a custom-fitted bleaching tray, and the carbamide or peroxide gel is put into that. The trays stay on your teeth for about an hour in the office, or they can be used at home with a dentist's supervision.
The teeth whitening products used in a dentist's office are usually better at whitening the teeth because the dentist can adjust the strip or mouth-guard so it conforms as it should to the shape of the teeth. This reduces the amount of soreness and/or irritation in the mouth. Also, in the dentist office, they can use stronger products. The dentist can use peroxide of 35%, which is much stronger than is available to the consumer through a drug store. At home, it is more likely only about 12%, or even less.
Home Use of Teeth Whitening Products
Teeth whitening products are also available for use at home, with an over-the-counter kit to bleach the teeth. There are a couple of kinds of kits. First, there are dental trays. The soft plastic trays are boiled, then put into the mouth while warm and pliable to form to the teeth. A whitening gel is used with the trays to bleach the teeth.
Another at home method is to use whitening strips. The kit will have thin strips that holds a comparatively low concentration of the oxidizing agent, and it is kept next to the teeth for a while every day. Some people see whiter teeth in as little as a few days, and for others, this method doesn't work well or at all. Most kits are designed to be used for 7 - 10 days. This is the least expensive option.
Finally, a product for teeth whitening that many people use is a whitening toothpaste. This is the least effective of all, as it only helps with the surface stains and does nothing to affect the actual color of the tooth itself. However, it is an easy way to help preserve whiter teeth. And it is the least expensive teeth whitening product that can be used on a continual basis.
