Tooth Whitening: Cutting through the Darkness

Tooth Whitening: Cutting through the Darkness
December 19, 2007
Best Syndication

When you meet someone, you smile and say hello. This means the whiteness of your teeth is one of the first things people are likely to notice about you. To avoid making a terrible impression right away, we would all like to have whiter teeth, but with all the options availableÛthe number seems to grow every dayÛhow can we select the Anaheim Hills tooth whitening solution that'll give the best results for our situation?

Before you begin seeking tooth whitening, make sure you're a candidate. Those likely to benefit from tooth whitening are those whose teeth are discolored due to:

? Coffee, tea, red wine, or other beverages

? Cigarettes and other tobacco products

? Age

Tooth Whitening Toothpaste

This seems like an ideal solution. With little extra expense, it is possible to take our daily habits of oral care into a tooth-whitening routine. For some people, this may be a good solution, if the teeth are very healthy and the stains are not very deep. For some, however, whitening toothpastes can lead to teeth that are less white. All toothpastes are abrasive, and if your teeth are discolored partly because you have thin tooth enamel, brushing with whitening toothpastes can make this enamel even thinner, exposing the dentin inside the tooth, which is yellow. If you are going to use a whitening toothpaste, make sure you use one with calcium phosphate, which has been shown to improve the strength of your tooth by chemically augmenting the enamel.

Over-the-Counter Whitening

Most pharmacies and grocery stores in Anaheim Hills these days carry at-home whitening kits that include whitening gel and plastic trays designed to be placed over the teeth at night to hold the gel up against the teeth. The main weaknesses of this approach are:

? Poorly-fitting trays can apply gels unevenly to teeth, leading to unattractive dark-and-light patterning on teeth

? FDA limits on the strength of whitening gel limit the effectiveness of these kits

? Sometimes, whitening this way can lead to tooth sensitivity

However, for some people with straight, regular teeth that have only slight to moderate discoloration, this may be an ideal solution.

At-Home Dentist Supervised Whitening

For this solution, a cosmetic dentist issues you a tray and a specific allocation of prescription-strength whitening solution. This solution provides the best possible whitening because:

? Your dentist custom-fits your trays to fit your own teeth, including the possibility of targeting individual teeth that may have become especially stained from smoking

? The whitening gel is stronger to provide better results

? Dentist-supervised whitening can be adjusted to avoid most sensitivity and pain associated with tooth whitening.

The only problem with this solution is that it takes between one and two weeks to accomplish. For those who need whitening after short notice before a special event, in-office whitening can be useful.

In-Office Tooth Whitening

Although this technique does not achieve the same overall quality of results as the dentist-supervised, at-home treatment, it can provide whitening of several shades in about an hour. For this procedure:

? Whitening gel is applied to the teeth

? The gel is activated with the use of a high-intensity light

? The light is used in three bursts of 20 minutes in length.

However, it's possible that your particular tooth whitening problems might not be curable by any of these methods, especially if you are genetically inclined to discolored teeth. If this is the case, you should consider options that conceal your discolored teeth, such as porcelain veneers or dental bonding.

Now that you have the basic information, you are prepared to make an informed decision about tooth whitening.

Important: The material on Best Syndication is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be advice. You should always seek professional advice before making financial or medical decisions.

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