When you use a home whitening kit, whitening toothpaste, or other form of teeth whitening that’s sold over-the-counter, you will find certain things work and others don’t. Beware of some “cheap” remedies sold in malls, online, and other places as they are often short-term whiteners that may have ill effects.
Before undergoing any whitening treatment, you should visit your dentist for a regular cleaning and checkup. Most teeth whitening methods should not be used by women who are pregnant, anyone with gum disease, and in other situations. Talk to your dentist about your plans while you’re getting your checkup so you can find out if there is a risk.
Most of types of whitening kit that you purchase from the store (over the counter) are bleach-based. Probably hydrogen peroxide, which is basically harmless in small quantities. This is what gives the bleaching its “sting” quality when it touches your gums or lips. For the most part, however, so long as your gums aren’t over-exposed to the peroxide, no ill effects beyond some sensitivity will result.
These kits work fairly well for most people and many find that this is all they need for teeth whitening. Expect to get 2-3 shades lighter after about two weeks of treatments. For most people, this amount of teeth whitening is what they’re after and is good enough.
If you use a whitening kit, however, be aware that you should never use more than one kit in a row and should have at least a like interval (about a week) between treatments. Read the box label before you use it and follow directions carefully.
Whitening toothpaste options abound and are extremely popular. They are not, however, very effective. They are better for maintenance of an existing teeth whitening treatment than they are at whitening on their own. Great results can be had by using an over the counter whitening kit combined with whitening toothpaste, though.
Good luck with your whitening!
Teeth whitening is considered “cosmetic dentistry,” so be aware that most dental insurance plans probably do not cover teeth whitening as part of their normal coverage. Teeth whitening is, however, usually one of the cheapest and shortest-term treatments dentists will do in the realm of cosmetic dentistry.
Be aware that whitening methods are all non-permanent solutions, so they will require regular maintenance and renewals to keep your teeth white. In addition, even if you choose a home method off the pharmacy shelf, you’ll have much better results if you schedule a regular cleaning at your dentist to get the worst of the tartar and buildup off of your teeth before you begin using your whitening methods.
Most methods involve bleaching, even at the dentist. Other in-office methods include laser treatments, long-term bleaching to treat intrinsic stains, and so forth. Most people who visit their dentist for a teeth whitening regimen will do an in-office, deep-set or intrinsic bleaching. This is usually in 15 or 20-minute intervals for about an hour using close-fitting plates (teeth covers) and will use either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide in a mix.
Laser treatments are less common and much more expensive, but have faster, longer-lasting results. Bleaching for intrinsic (deep set) stains usually requires one to two visits to the dentist at about an hour each, but won’t show a measurable difference for at least a week or more. Laser treatments are about twice the cost (over $1,000 in most cases) and the results are immediate.
Whether you use home teeth whitening kits or visit your dentist for one of the prescribed whitening methods, you’ll likely have sensitive teeth, possible gum irritation, and perhaps a non-universal color of teeth for a short amount of time after the treatments.
Maintaining good dental hygiene is, of course, the true secret to keeping your teeth whiter, but also maintaining a teeth whitening regimen for longer periods. Whatever of the whitening methods you use, brushing daily and keeping your teeth clean will result in your teeth whitening lasting longer.
One of the single biggest things that people want to do to improve their appearance, second only to weight loss, is teeth whitening. Bright white and sparkling teeth are something that is very apparent to anyone you talk to, and it is a major positive point when you meet someone who has bright white teeth.
A bright white smile can be yours if you are willing to put some time and effort into it. Much of the success or even the level of success depends on the reason that your teeth are not bright white naturally. It could be that your teeth are simply stained, for example, perhaps from tea, coffee or tobacco. Or it may be a physical thing with your body chemistry, but no matter what the reason, there are very few cases at all where bright white teeth cannot be achieved.
One option of course is your dentist. Almost all dentists can recommend products that can provide whiter teeth, and some dentists also have the equipment in their offices to perform procedures right there. A dentist will typically use a type of teeth whitening gel which closely fits your teeth. The gels provided to dentists are very safe to use and have been tested extensively, which is something that cannot be said about the over-the-counter products you may purchase. There is no government requirement for testing such product such they are officially and technically not drugs. These gels, either from your dentist or over the counter at your local drugstore are typically a bleaching gel, normally composed of carbamide peroxide or various different strengths of mostly peroxide.
The whitening comes from bleaching out the stains. Sometimes the staining comes from taking certain antibiotics, most notably tetracycline antibiotics. The whitening comes from the bleaching which is the result of actually bleaching the inner tooth, not merely the surface of the tooth, which is then retained over much longer periods of time.
Keep in mind that you will not get results overnight. Even the “Cadillac” treatments take time to implement because you are bleaching and changing the chemistry for a long-lasting effect. But the good news is that teeth whitening can be achieved for almost anyone, and the end result will be a much more attractive you.
At one time, those people with the sparkling and pure white teeth seemed to only be in the movies or in Hollywood. But in today’s world, virtually anyone can have the same pearly white and sparking white teeth with various teeth whitening methods and procedures. The right procedure is different for everyone since we are all very different in what works, in the same way that a remedy for a cold varies greatly from person to person.
In today’s world, the process of teeth whitening is probably one of the fastest growing demands in terms of elective or cosmetic dental procedures. The reason for this is that sparkling white teeth seem to show that you are confident, you know what you are doing, and you take care in your personal appearance. Very white teeth also depict cleanliness. Many times an actual dentist is not even required to perform the procedure, although you are advised to check with your dentist before applying any procedure that is anything more complex than "extremely simple".
Are some methods of teeth whitening more effective than others? Of course, but depending on what you want done and the time period that you are willing to allocate for the teeth whitening to happen will have a dramatic effect on the cost of having this done. The "Cadillac" teeth whitening procedure is laser teeth whitening, which is done at a dentist’s office and will probably cost you somewhere north of $600. But you really do not need to spend that much to get this done.
There are various methods and approaches but one thing is certain — if you do nothing about it, your teeth will not get whiter by themselves.
Investigate how you can get teeth whitening done. Depending on what has caused your teeth to be stained or dull, like smoking, heavy coffee drinking, there is more than likely a very effective and inexpensive treatment that you can start to use today.
Uncategorized | aaron1 | 
August 10, 2009 10:06 am | 
Comments (0) 
Subscribe