What You Should Know About How to Whiten Teeth
Everyone seems to want whiter teeth these days. Hollywood and magazines teach us that the people with white, bright teeth are what we want to be like, and many people will go to any length to get whiter teeth. While it would be great to just show up at your dentist's office and leave it all to him, it is a good idea to learn about how to whiten teeth and your various options before just handing over your hard-earned cash.
Options for How to Whiten Teeth
First of all, there are several answers to how to whiten teeth. Several are simply over-the-counter options. The easiest, one that many people do already, is to use a whitening toothpaste. Whitening toothpastes work by helping to remove surface stains to the teeth by being more abrasive to the teeth.
Typically toothpastes contain small amounts of silica, calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate, and aluminum oxide to help grind off the stains that are made by the molecules hanging onto the teeth from the food eaten. These gentle polishing or chemical agents aid in the stain removal effectiveness. These toothpastes do not contain bleach; they have a hydrogen peroxide in them that helps remove stains right on the surface of the tooth. There is nothing in them to alter the intrinsic color of the teeth.
Another aspect of how to whiten teeth is to use an over-the-counter bleaching kit. These whitening strips are thin, flexible shaped strips that are coated with a whitening gel that is peroxide-based. The strips are worn on the teeth for about half an hour at a time, for several days. Many people get visible results using this method.
A method of how to whiten teeth is to use a tray-based product. These are similar to what is done in a dentist's office, though it can also be done at home, almost as effectively. The tray is made to fit in your mouth, over your teeth, then they are filled with a peroxide-bleaching agent and worn in the mouth for a significant amount of time over several weeks. This is one answer to how to whiten teeth.
If you're willing to spend a bit more money, you can go to your dentist and let the dentist determine how to whiten your teeth. They can usually do a great job, one that is quicker and very effective. The dentist applies a protective gel to the non-teeth areas, particularly the gums. Then the bleaching product is applied right on the teeth. The process usually lasts upwards to an hour, and will often need to be done over several visits for maximum results.
If you want to know how to whiten teeth the easiest and fastest way, a similar process can be done in a cosmetic dentist's office, using a special laser. The gums are protected, the bleaching agent is applied, and the laser is aimed at a few teeth at a time, for about 15 seconds at a time. In total, each tooth receives about 2 to 4 minutes under the laser, and results can be seen after just one visit.
