Different Methods To Whiten Teeth For The Best Results
Written by Andrew Decosta
Teeth whitening is ideal for people who have healthy, unrestored teeth (no fillings) and gums. Individuals with yellow tones to their teeth respond best. As you get older, your teeth naturally become darker. If you drink tea, coffee, and red wine or consume other foods and drinks with strong colorings, your teeth may become discolored earlier in your life. Another major cause of discoloration is smoking, which can make your teeth appear yellow. If you have tooth decay or gum disease, this will need to be treated before you have any whitening treatments. The whitening effects vary from person to person.
Different methods to whiten your teeth:
In-Office Whitening: In-office bleaching provides the quickest way to whiten teeth. With in-office bleaching, the whitening product is applied directly to the teeth. These products can be used in combination with heat, a special light, and/or a laser. Results are seen in only one, 30- to 60-minute treatment. But to achieve dramatic results, several appointments are usually needed. However, with in-office bleaching, dramatic results can be seen after the first treatment. This type of whitening is the most expensive technique.
Whitening Trays: Trays are a type of silicon/plastic gum shield that fits around your teeth and gums. Depending on the brand, you will often find that a whitening gel is placed in the tray and then placed on your teeth for about 30 minutes to one hour. This is done once a day for up to 2 weeks (depending on the intensity of the gel).The whitening gel generally contains hydrogen peroxide or carbamide. The stronger kits normally have a stronger solution to bleach your teeth which targets the stains on your teeth to lift away dirt and prevent tartar build-up.
Whitening Toothpastes: Teeth whitening toothpastes contain mild abrasives to remove surface stains. Some whitening toothpastes may have additional polishing agents and special chemicals that are more effective against stains than regular toothpastes, but teeth whitening toothpastes are not designed to actually "bleach" your teeth.
Whitening Gels: Teeth whitening gels are very rarely applied directly to the tooth’s surface. In fact, gels usually come in a kit that includes a set of U-shaped trays which fit around the shape of your teeth. Teeth whitening gels are made of hydrogen peroxide, which has an acidic quality that can act as a bleach for your teeth. Strength of this bleach can vary from product to product and the stronger the peroxide level, the more effective it will be at whitening your teeth. However, stronger bleaches with higher peroxide levels which whiten your teeth too quickly could cause longer term damage to your teeth’s enamel.
Whitening Pens- Different types of whitening pens are built in different ways, but one of the most popular shapes is the pen form with in-built brush or soft pen tip. The pen lid comes off so that you can squeeze the whitening gel onto your teeth and spread it across your tooth enamel using the brush. The brush is particularly effective for allowing you to apply the product evenly across the layer of your teeth.
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