Oral Health Link to Whole Body Health: A Blog

Two Ways You Can Achieve Teeth Whitening

21 March 2017

Duane Kelly

A bright and confident smile leads to a stronger and more presentable personality. Everyone wants to fix oral problems as quickly as possible, and tooth blemishes are one of those problems you can fix quickly. That brown patch or blackish discoloration making you look awkward whenever you talk or smile can be removed quite easily when you consider teeth whitening as an option.

There are two ways you can achieve effective teeth whitening:

Over the counter

This teeth whitening option has become quite popular due to its ease of accessibility, effectiveness and cost friendliness. Over-the-counter teeth whitening either employs strips or gels. Whitening gels usually contain less peroxide—that is crucial to the process—than teeth whitening strips. When using gels, you will probably have to undergo whitening over a longer period of time.

Teeth whitening strips are also sold over the counter. These strips involve a more concentrated whitening solution that has to be worn on the surface of the teeth being whitened. For the best results, many dentists would recommend that you wear the strips for the maximum recommended hours. So, for instance, wearing reliable whitening strips for eight hours a day or more would be more reliable to teeth whitening than constantly on-and-off strips.

One concern with over-the-counter options is even teeth whitening. Many dentists will recommend care when using these products to achieve even whitening. Don't, for example, assume taking drinks using one side of your mouth while wearing strips won't result in one brighter side than the other. You should also remember that whitening gels and strips don't work on several teeth alterations like caps, crowns, and fillings. If you have these, over-the-counter teeth whitening may not be your solution.

Laser or power bleaching

In this category of whitening, an actual dentist is involved. The dentist uses more peroxide-concentrated gels to whiten your teeth. This type of whitening is more effective, almost instant, and probably costlier than an over-the-counter solution. The whitening gels are further accelerated in action using either heat or light. The dentist specifies a wavelength of light to use for the acceleration process. This is because some wavelengths, such as ultraviolet, are directly harmful to your enamel and gums. After power bleaching, custom trays are made for the patient to continue using for further teeth whitening maintenance. A good idea is to add some sensitivity toothpaste to the trays before wearing since your teeth will probably be sensitive after the procedure. 

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