One’s enjoyment in the office or at a party can be seriously impaired if your teeth are lacklustre. Having crooked teeth that don’t gleam, even though they are often less healthy than straight ones, isn’t so important since the crookedness can be a part of the person’s distinctive character.
Social acceptability is directly related to the quality of your dentition: the better the teeth, the greater the level of social acceptance. Practising good oral hygiene will help to keep teeth white but if you want a better shade of white there are other ways than just brushing.
Your sparkling smile may become dulled even though you keep your mouth healthy by brushing, flossing, and rinsing with a mouthwash.
Whitening teeth with a peroxide based solution is a very popular procedure for dentists and patients alike. All the various forms of this treatment can be categorized as either treatment at home or treatment at the dentist’s surgery. While all techniques will generally provide the expected results there are advantages and disadvantages to all of them. Always consult your dentist or call your dental insurance plan provider if you are in any way unsure about dental treatments.
To keep the perfect smile you can employ one of several techniques.
- Teeth whitening strips
- Tray-based teeth whitening solutions
- Paint-on teeth whitening
- Professional teeth whitening treatment
Teeth whitening strips are the simplest form of improving your dental looks. By wearing whitening strips coated with 6% hydrogen peroxide for two weeks, Proctor and Gamble claim that you will achieve a 10% whiter smile.
A good thing about whitening strips is that you can wear them all day but without other people being able to see them. However, because whitening strips lie across the front of the teeth they are not always able to reach between the teeth where stains sometimes occur - a clear disadvantage.
Tray-based whitening solutions provide a better option and more dentists use tray-based whitening systems with their patients than any other tooth bleaching procedure. The tray is so shaped that one part fits around the upper teeth and the other around the lower teeth. The tray is filled with a bleaching gel and may be at work for several hours.
The advantage of using a tray instead of white strips is that the gel is able to reach into the areas that whitening strips cannot. The disadvantage is the tray must stay in the mouth for a given amount of time. Different manufacturers will stipulate different times.
Painting the teeth with a peroxide solution is another method of application. After applying the whitener to the teeth by brush the solution hardens into a thin film. The length of time the solution remains on the tooth varies between manufacturers. Whilst half an hour is suitable for some solutions, others need to remain on the teeth all night. After the whitening solution has been on the teeth for the required time it is removed by toothbrush.
Paint-on whitening has the advantage of not involving trays and of the solution reaching all parts of the tooth. The disadvantage is that this does not work on existing dental work.
It is sensible to consult your dentist before embarking upon any kind of self-applied treatment. Failure to use any solution properly can lead to unwelcome side effects on fillings and veneers as well as other previous dental work. The incorrect use of any of these solutions may lead to a considerable amount of extra treatment and expense.
Teeth whitening treatment done by a professional is often thought to be better than that carried out by oneself. In fact at the end of the day there is no difference between the results achieved by professional treatment and by self-administered treatment. Time now becomes the most significant consideration. Whereas home treatment may take up two weeks, a dentist should be able to complete the treatment in one session.
The disadvantage to using a dentist is of course cost. If you do not have a comprehensive dental insurance policy which covers these sorts of treatments, the cost will be substantially more than buying over the counter products. With dental insurance the cost may be comparable or less than the self-administered approach. The advantage to dentist-administered treatment is time. It usually takes only an hour to complete a whitening session. You can’t inspect your own mouth but the dentist can do this at the same time, a considerable advantage.
