Teeth Whitening
Cheap Teeth Whitening
Tooth whitening products are commercially available for the public today, but their effectiveness varies.
In the current times the carbohydrates, coffee and cigarettes are just some of culprits which discolour our teeth.
Strong brushing is a real NO as this destroys our enamel.
The only option is to have a dental tooth bleaching or cosmetic teeth whitening. But these are expensive.
Cosmetic teeth whitening procedure is about $500 in most cases. Laser teeth whitening can easily go to $1000.
The cheap teeth whitening alternative is to purchase in-home tray bleaching.
This tooth whitening kit can cost between $50 to $100 for a total system.
Be aware that expensive tooth whitening products do not necessary work better than the cheaper tooth whitening products.
However, not so cheap teeth whitening option of expert dental tooth bleaching is generally effective.
Cosmetic Teeth Whitening
Cosmetic tooth whitening or dental tooth bleaching is a common procedure in general and cosmetic dentistry.
Owing to food products, aging and even antibiotics our teeth become stained.
There are many methods to have teeth whitened:
- dental tooth bleaching strips,
- bleaching gels,
- laser bleaching and others.
Some of these cosmetic tooth whitening products should be used by a dentist; others are safe to be used at home.
Tooth whitening products apply high concentration of oxidising agent to the teeth (mainly in a gel form).
The application trays are placed on teeth to retain the gel for +/-20 minutes.
The process of applying gels can be repeated two more times.
Light energy (laser, LED or Halogen) can further speed up the process of dental tooth bleaching.
The bleaching agent is either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide itself.
The effect of whiter teeth is apparently best achieved with a help of halogen lights (however, lasers offer a faster but also a more risky option for softer tissues).
Generally, teeth become whitened because the oxidising agent (with the help of light energy) penetrates porosities in enamel and oxidises stain deposits.
The effect of cosmetic teeth whitening can last for several months
Affordable Tooth Whitening Products
Cheap teeth whitening products are available in stores.
The most popular are commercial tooth whitening products which bleach teeth.
The popular system uses a tray, which softens under high temperature.
The soft tray fits the tooth and then hardens when temperature decreases.
During this process the patient tries to bite his teeth to keep the trays in place.
This way you get a good moulding for your teeth.
Next, the shaped tray is filled with teeth whitening gel and put in place.
At home, gel needs to be in contact with teeth for about 8 hours.
Dentists, on the other hand, use lasers to speed up the process.
Therefore, the waiting period for the patient at the dentist is shorter.
The best results are achieved with gel containing 22% carbamide peroxide.
Zoom tooth whitening gel is an another recommended product.
Be aware (especially ladies!), that you can achieve whiter teeth with a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide.
However, high level of hydrogen peroxide is acidic and can damage tooth enamel.
Tooth whitening kit which uses tray-bleaching method can cost $500 per visit at the cosmetic dentist.
You can expect to spend between $50-$150 on the DIY tooth whitening kit at home.
Current international DIY "get your teeth whitened" products:
- Rapid White
- Eucryl Extreme
- Dental White
- Boots Expert Teeth Whitening Programme and others.
Common Sense in Choosing Dental Tooth Whitening Products
If you find a dental tooth bleaching product which costs less then $25 then probably it is not effective.
For more expensive options consult pharmacist or dentist (these products can contain high level of hydrogen peroxide).
How the trays fit on your teeth is also very important. Good gel will create whiter teeth.
However, badly shaped trays can make even effective product useless. Ask other users for opinions.
Finally, if you want a quick action and a low risk then you should spend $500+ on the cosmetic dentist.