Teeth Whitening – Basic Details of Teeth Whitening

It is a fact of life that as we age our teeth will start to darken and lose their bright white shade. The earlier a teeth whitening regimen is started the better off the teeth will be. The first line of defense is to brush teeth daily and to use mouth wash on a regular basis to keep the staining agents that we encounter on a daily basis away from the tooth surface. There will come a time when something stronger is needed. Many different teeth whitening systems are available to help return teeth to their whitest stage and keep them that way.

There are a lot of different things that cause teeth to discolor over time. The first thing is age and there is not much that can be done about that. Another factor is the food and drink that we eat every day. Food and drinks like sodas, coffee, tea, red wine, blueberries, chocolate and other deep or dark colored items can stain the teeth. One of the worst things people can do to their teeth is to smoke or use other tobacco products. Also, there are some prescription drugs that list teeth discoloration as a side effect. To counteract these teeth stainers, a teeth whitening product should be used on a regular basis.

Every teeth whitening product will have some form of peroxide in them as an active ingredient. Professional whitening products will have carbamide peroxide, which is slower acting and eventually breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. Most over the counter tooth whiteners have hydrogen peroxide as the main ingredient. These products are used for a shorter amount of time than the professional products but they do take longer to make a noticeable change in the shade of the teeth. First time users of whiteners should take into consideration the amount of peroxide in the product because it can temporarily damage the gums of people who have a sensitivity to peroxide.

When the time comes to choose a teeth whitening product, there is a wide variety to pick from. There are whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes for people who just need a minor touchup. These are also good for people who prefer to have a gradual change back to a whiter shade. For a more dramatic change there are teeth whitening strips, brush on whitening gel and whitening tray systems. All of these need to be used few a few weeks before seeing results.