As we age and as life happens, almost all of us loose those pearly white teeth of use. Coffee, wine, tea, and tobacco use as well a citrus, sugar and crunchy food all take a toll on teeth enamel, opening teeth up to stains and disease.
Patients want to restore their teeth to their former white glory for a variety of reasons such as a job interview, a big business meeting, a high school reunion, a wedding or simply to look and feel youthful and more confident.
The huge demand for teeth whitening has fueled the introduction of many whitening products from whitening toothpastes to over-the-counter, at-home whitening trays to laser whitening done in the dentist office.
What are the different kinds of teeth whitening treatments out there and which one is best for you? Here is a brief summary:
Teeth Whitening Toothpastes
If your teeth aren’t too discolored, and the stains are minor, surface ones, using teeth whitening toothpaste may be for you. When looking for this kind of toothpaste, look for the ADA seal of safety. Whitening toothpastes have additional polishing agents and chemicals to remove surface stains. Teeth whitening toothpaste only work for minor, surface stains on teeth and the results happen gradually over a long period of time.
If your stains are deep and you need white teeth in a hurry, you’ll need a stronger teeth whitening treatment.
At-Home Teeth Whitening
There are two types of at-home teeth whitening systems: strips and trays. Both these teeth whitening options are available at grocery and drug stores and both are relatively inexpensive. With teeth whitening strips, the wearer wraps two hydrogen peroxide laced, clear, plastic strips over the top and bottom rows of teeth. The strips are worn for a certain length of time.
Teeth whitening trays act the same way as whitening strips do, only they contain trays into which the teeth bleaching agent is applied. The trays are then applied to the teeth where the teeth soak in the bleaching agent for a set amount of time.
The hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent used in both these treatments are the same, though less concentrated, enamel bleaching agent used in the in-office teeth whitening procedure.
While these treatments can whiten deeper tooth stains and are affordable, they also take time to yield noticeable results.
In-Office Bleaching
As you’ve probably guessed, in-office bleaching is teeth whitening done by the dentist in the dentist office. Professional teeth whitening can now be done in an hour in one dental visit. The in-office bleaching procedure involves the use of special UV lights that activate a highly-concentrated hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent that is applied on the teeth. Rubber shields or a protective gel will be applied to the gums to protect them from damage caused by the UV light.
The in-office bleaching is the best teeth whitening treatment. The whitening results are immediate with the patient walking out of the dentist office with a new, pearly white smile. It is also the longest lasting of teeth whitening treatments, lasting many years before reapplication.
The professional teeth whitening treatment is also the most expensive, but of you have deep teeth stains and need pearly white teeth ASAP, it is worth the additional cost.
Whether you need white teeth in a jiffy or have tried the other teeth whitening treatments to no avail, contact us at For the Perfect Smile to schedule a teeth whitening appointment and be on your way to enjoying the beautiful, white smile you’ve always dreamed of.