Types of teeth whitening products

Teeth whitening products are flooding the market today. With so many brands and different formulations, you might end up feeling confused of what type of product to use to whiten your teeth. The drugstore holds all kinds of tooth whitening products. However, before you do-it-yourself, you have to check with your dentist first. There are tooth whitening products that does more harm than good. You have to avoid these because you yourself will be the one to suffer. Extra care should be taken if you want to try whitening your white.

What are the different kinds of teeth whitening?

So far, there are four different kinds of teeth whitening products in the market today. You have to ask a dentist which type is suited for you.

The types are:

• Whitening toothpaste. This is the most widely used tooth whitening due to its availability and convenience. All you got to do is to brush your teeth which you normally do. The whitening effect is ready to take place as soon as you brush. This type does not contain bleach. All it does is to polish your teeth to remove the surface stain, so it does not really whiten your teeth.
• Whitening rinses. This works like the common rinses. It freshens breath as well as remove the plaque. It also contains s small amount of hydrogen peroxide. You have to swish it in your mouth for about 60 seconds before throwing it out. However, it falls short of its effect because you only have the rinse in your mouth for a very short period of time. Whereas, if you use the gel, it stays on your teeth for 30 minutes. The longer the whitening solution stays on your teeth, the more effective it is. So this is also not what will get your teeth whitened.
• Whitening strips. These are little strips of gel that you place over your teeth to whiten. The strips contain some percent of peroxide or bleach. You have to dry your teeth well or else it will not adhere. After placing the strip over your teeth, you have to wait for 30 minutes before you remove it. This should be done twice a day for fourteen days. The results will last you about 3 months. Advantages: ease of use and cost. Disadvantages: It can slip and slide, the percentage of peroxide is low so you can’t get the best whitening result.
• Tray based whitening systems. You can buy this over the counter or you can have this in the dental office.

  

  The whitening gel is placed on the tray and you have to wear the tray in your mouth for about an hour every day for 7-10 days, sometimes up to 2 weeks.

The difference between the trays bought over-the-counter and bleaching trays made in the dental office is that the OTC trays are one size fit all and the tray at the dentist’s office is personalized, custom fit so it fits you perfectly. The degree of the bleaching strength is also what differs. The hydrogen peroxide in the OTC products is very low, but the one you get from your dentist are higher and it is also adjusted according to the degree of your need. So, you do not have to worry about too much bleaching.

• In-office Teeth Whitening. This is the fastest way to get the results you want and is the best results you can get. It will take normally about an hour and that’s it, you are done. Your dentist or assistant will apply a special type of gel o your gums for protection and then the high concentration of hydrogen peroxide is applied to the teeth. Then depending on which system is being used, some will have a light that is placed to make the whitening process faster and some don’t.

Keep in mind that all teeth whitening products that use hydrogen or carbomide peroxide will give you some sensitivity, depending on the strength. But this is only temporary. Usually as soon as you stop the whitening process, it will go away, or the most by 48 hours.

Talk to your dentist which option is best for you. Here is also a video about teeth whitening: