Learn Your Teeth Whitening Options: From Professional Services To DIY Kits

So you have a low self-esteem right now no thanks to yellowish set of teeth. That’s tough, especially if you are the kind of person who puts a premium on the way you look and the way people look at you. But this should not be the end of the world for you. There are answers. And the answers to your problems are teeth whitening solutions that come in many forms and prices. We consider all these options available for you, and we check their differences and the benefits that can be delivered to you.

Options offered in supermarket and drugstores

For those who want to take care of the problem themselves, the products offered at supermarkets and drugstores are the solutions. These products that are available here will often contain lesser amount of whitening agents. Or the concentration of hydrogen peroxide for these products is less than what the professionals use. In many counts, the concentration of the peroxide for these products varies from 3 to 6 percent. For this reason, the efficacy and the reliability can be questioned depending on the actual product. For this set of bleaching agents, the usual recommendation is to use twice daily and the waiting time can reach two weeks before the effects can be realized. In terms of price, expect to pay $3 to $10 for teeth whitening toothpastes. And for other bleaching formulations, some over the counter products can fetch around $30.

Take home bleaching agents (Professional Strength)

Another option is to consider the professional strength bleach as recommended by many dentists. This option can come in two variants, the one with carbamide peroxide or the one with hydrogen peroxide. The bleaching formulation products will often come complete with the custom-fitted tray so that will be used by the dentist to get an impression of the teeth of the person. When this treatment option is considered, the treatment may be performed for as short as 30 minutes to as long as 8 hours. And what is the cost of this whitening solution? Expect to pay from $300 to $600 and this will include all the bleaching materials.

What about laser whitening

Laser whitening is done on the office or the clinic of the attending dentist. And in order to get the results, you may need to have one to four treatments. For this approach, gels are used and these gels do contain some peroxide-based formulations. And the use of the gels is complemented through the use of the lasers to facilitate the whitening process. You can consider this option as one of the most expensive solutions towards white teeth. You will need to have at most four treatments to get the results that you want, and each treatment will cost you at least $600.

Of all these options available, what could be best for your needs? In the end, the budget and your convenience will serve as the two primary factors in shopping for teeth whitening solutions. If budget is not an issue, then you can always go for the professionally-provided services.

Teeth Whitening and Bleaching

Unlike temporary teeth which are shiny, very white and very clean looking, the permanent teeth that follow once the deciduous teeth are lost are usually less porous. Because of this, permanent teeth come in varying shades from white to off-white and sometimes to yellowish. It could shade darker as the person grows older, perfectly normal.

While the darkening of the teeth as it ages is mainly due to the changes in the teeth’s mineral structure, the enamel at the same time gets less porous and less shiny making it more susceptible to stains from bacterial pigments, medication, tobacco, wine, coffee, tea and food. No matter how good the hygiene of a person is, the teeth simply ages. Rightly or wrongly, white brilliant teeth are attributed to health, youth, good grooming and being clean.

In an age where getting the best foot forward is never possible without having a pleasant smile, whitening the teeth no matter the age and no matter the lifestyle, completes the projection that a person wants to convey across. Good thing that there are many ways to do this fast, effective and not costly. This could be done with professional help although for the most part, a DIY – at home whitening does wonders as well. The most common methods are using bleaching pens, bleaching strips, gels and natural bleaching, most of which could be obtained from the local pharmacy and dental supply stores.

There are however some risks involved when doing teeth whitening at home as some teeth could be sensitive than others and gums could also be irritated that could cause degrees of discomfort. When whitening the teeth at home, it will always be recommended to use those that have low concentration of whitening agents. Although this method is far less effective and takes a while longer, it is also the safest. When using hydrogen peroxide for example, the concentration of the mix that is recommended at the back of the bottle should be adhered strictly if not less than what is recommended just to test it out. While studies have shown (Kugel et al) that the effect of peroxides at decreasing the tooth enamel is very insignificant, it nonetheless tends to make the teeth more sensitive for some time and when the proportion of the mix is on the strong side, the mix could result to painful gums and cause irritation to the surrounding tissues inside the mouth.

Some stains though are not so easy to remove and may take longer treatment for the whitening agent to reach the dentine layer. For stubborn stains and uncomfortably dark shades in the teeth, self help may no longer suffice. Treatments could be done by a professional who could use custom bleaching trays, laser treatment, and in cases where discoloration is ugly, porcelain veneers could be applied including dental bonding.

Although teeth whitening are only cosmetic, the reward it provides a person in terms of confidence and a general feeling good grooming and of well-being is enormous.

Professional Laser Teeth Whitening Services Dissected

Having yellow teeth is no longer a problem, well at least according to many dental practitioners. There are a number of professional cleaning and teeth whitening services, and it’s now easy for you to change from that person with yellow teeth to that person with shiny white set of teeth.

The services will vary to address different needs and preferences and the costs are minimal as well thus making these professional services easy for many people interested to improve the quality of their smile. In today’s dental cosmetic market, the most popular procedure is called the laser tooth whitening. But there are other options available too that forms part of the so-called professional teeth whitening services. All these services are discussed and dissected below.

Laser teeth whitening procedure

This is how the process works. The dentist will begin with the minor cleaning procedure which will include the removal of existing plaque in the gum line. Once cleaned, a gel fortified with peroxide is then applied to the targeted teeth. This gel in question contains peroxide in just the right quantity that can ensure that the teeth will whiten. And since this is the laser whitening procedure, expect that light will be used as well and this is used to activate the gel. The whole procedure will go on for an hour and could whiten the teeth by as much as 10 shades. There will be times when the procedure may be repeated more than once to ensure that the deep stains can be addressed.

Can you still undergo the laser procedure even if you have sensitive teeth?

The good news is that even if you have sensitive teeth, this will not be an issue when it comes to the laser approach to teeth whitening. Since majority of the sessions for laser technology will be made just for a single visit, then this will definitely serve as good news for the person with the sensitive teeth.

Prepare for the costs

If this is the kind of procedure that you would want to take for your problematic teeth, then make sure that you are ready to face the costs. And since this is a new technology in the market, the cost of the procedure is still high and it will take some time before the actual costs can be lowered. But this current cost does not stop those who want to have whiter teeth and the practitioners offering this service. Right now, there are dentists that offer these services at reduced prices thus making these services affordable for the bigger set of consumers.

Just how much should you prepare when you will select these professional services?

By some estimates, you need to raise at least $300 and for top of the line services you need $2000. The costs for these procedures will definitely change depending on the area you are living in. But as others would say, cost is nothing if compared to the joys and the confidence of owning a set of white teeth.