What is Tooth Whitening

Tooth Whitening
What is Tooth Whitening?

Tooth whitening is the process of removing ugly brown or yellow stains from teeth. These stains can be caused by a number of things. Some of these may include smoking, age or caffeine. An effective teeth-whitening system will remove stains, bringing teeth back to a clean pearly white color.

There are several products available for making teeth whiter and cleaner looking, all of them with varying degrees of usefulness and at varying prices. The most effective way of getting teeth white is by cosmetic dentistry, although this is also the most expensive method. Some of the more inexpensive options that do produce results are:

· Teeth Bleaching with a laser. This method is done at your preferred oral healthcare professionals office. A solution is applied to the teeth, usually peroxide, Then a special laser light is used to remove stains. This method is very effective with most patients and results are instant. A treatment will take approximately 1 hour and cost around $400 to $1,000.

· Home whitening kits are a bleaching system that can be used at home. This method has varying degrees of effectiveness. Your oral health professional will customize a mouth guard for you in their office and provide you with a specially prepared solution that usually consists of peroxide. At your own convenience you can treat your own teeth. These treatments may take 1 hour to all night and need to be continued for between 7-14 days to get effective results. The home tooth whitening method will cost around $200-$400 for the complete treatment.

· Whitening toothpaste is not as effective as most other treatments and care must be taken to select a toothpaste that is not abrasive. If this method is used, it is best to consult your oral health care professional for information and use a recommended toothpaste. Whitening toothpaste is useful for getting your teeth cleaner but won’t drastically change the color of your teeth. The cost of a tube of recommended whitening toothpaste would be around $7 per tube.

Before deciding on a tooth whitening product, it is a good idea to consult your oral health care professional. He or she will tell you which options are the best for you and your teeth. There is a method of teeth whitening available for every budget. Bear in mind that there is no guarantee that any of the above methods will work as effectively as it did for others.