Although there are many different specific kinds of teeth whitening processes, they can be broadly classified into three categories: dental office - over the counter home kits - and toothpastes. The simplest, cheapest and least effective is of course, toothpaste. Whereas all other forms of whitening involve bleach, whitening toothpastes do not. They use abrasives and other chemical agents that provide surface polishing and stain removing effects. These remove surface stains only and do not significantly lighten the teeth. The whitening effect of these toothpastes is simply caused by removing stains that shouldn't be on the teeth in the first place.
Over the counter whitening kits contain bleach in the form of carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Today, they come in many different forms, but they are all based on the same principle - bleaching the teeth. Teeth whitening strips are thin, flexible strips with the peroxide bonded to them. They are placed on the teeth twice daily for 30 minutes for a total of 14 days.
There is also whitening gel which can be brushed directly on the teeth twice a day for 14 days. There are teeth whitening trays which contain a peroxide based teeth whitening gel. It is placed in the mouth like a mouth guard for a period of some hours (usually overnight), for several weeks. A new technique involves teeth whitening rinses. This is a peroxide based teeth whitening solution which is used just like a mouthwash. The peroxide will whiten the teeth over a very extended period of time - as long as 12 weeks. This last technique may have less of a whitening effect than the others, but it appears to be easier to use.
Finally, there are dental in-office whitening procedures. These can take several forms, but they all involve teeth bleaching. They may also have some form of acceleration of the whitening effect, such as by directing a laser, a heat source or a special light source to the bleach solution. This has the effect of encouraging the oxidation of the peroxide solution, resulting in the acceleration of whitening. These kinds of visits can often produce dramatic whitening with only one 30- 60 minute office visit, but usually several office visits are required. The dental in-office visits are the most expensive - costing as much as $1,000.00.
So which is the best treatment for you? It depends on your budget and the extent of whitening needed. If you are a heavy smoker, or a heavy coffee drinker (or both), chances are that your teeth will require more whitening than toothpastes can provide. Whether you use the over the counter kits or the dental in-office treatment will then depend on your time frame as well as you budget.
Over the counter whitening kits contain bleach in the form of carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Today, they come in many different forms, but they are all based on the same principle - bleaching the teeth. Teeth whitening strips are thin, flexible strips with the peroxide bonded to them. They are placed on the teeth twice daily for 30 minutes for a total of 14 days.
There is also whitening gel which can be brushed directly on the teeth twice a day for 14 days. There are teeth whitening trays which contain a peroxide based teeth whitening gel. It is placed in the mouth like a mouth guard for a period of some hours (usually overnight), for several weeks. A new technique involves teeth whitening rinses. This is a peroxide based teeth whitening solution which is used just like a mouthwash. The peroxide will whiten the teeth over a very extended period of time - as long as 12 weeks. This last technique may have less of a whitening effect than the others, but it appears to be easier to use.
Finally, there are dental in-office whitening procedures. These can take several forms, but they all involve teeth bleaching. They may also have some form of acceleration of the whitening effect, such as by directing a laser, a heat source or a special light source to the bleach solution. This has the effect of encouraging the oxidation of the peroxide solution, resulting in the acceleration of whitening. These kinds of visits can often produce dramatic whitening with only one 30- 60 minute office visit, but usually several office visits are required. The dental in-office visits are the most expensive - costing as much as $1,000.00.
So which is the best treatment for you? It depends on your budget and the extent of whitening needed. If you are a heavy smoker, or a heavy coffee drinker (or both), chances are that your teeth will require more whitening than toothpastes can provide. Whether you use the over the counter kits or the dental in-office treatment will then depend on your time frame as well as you budget.
No comments:
Post a Comment