Having a beautiful set of teeth after drug addiction

3 Teeth Whitening Options you may Consider

by Danielle Fletcher

Days when dentistry focused on oral hygiene and treating oral diseases are long gone. As technology surges to a whole new level, people are now concerned with improving the aesthetic appearance of their teeth. They want their mouths and smiles to look nice. The emergence of cosmetic dentists has made this concern solvable. Teeth whitening is one of the common trends that people with stained teeth opt to take. Stained teeth can result from smoking, too much caffeine or poor oral hygiene. Teeth whitening is a recommended cosmetic procedure that removes the stains, hence improving your smile's appearance. Cosmetic dentists recommend three options for major teeth whitening: in-office whitening, professionally dispensed take-home kits and over-the-counter products.

In-office whitening

In this protocol, the cosmetic dentist applies a high-concentrated peroxide gel to your teeth and lets it remain in the mouth for around 18 minute intervals that add up to maximum of one hour. A paint-on rubber dam covers your gums to protect them from being corroded by the acidic effect of the peroxide gel. Overly-stained teeth may require several bleaching sessions to achieve sparkling white teeth.

Professionally dispensed take-home kits

Those who use this option are given professionally dispensed whitening kits to use while at home. The kits contain a reasonably lower concentration peroxide gel that can stay in your mouth for more than one hour safely. Actually, as the concentration of the peroxide reduces, the period it may safely remain on your teeth increases. Customized bleaching trays are used to apply gel to the teeth.  

Over-the-counter products

For this option, you can buy whitening kits at the store. You do not need any professional guide to use these products. The kits contain a bleaching gel whose peroxide concentration is lower than that of professionally dispensed take-home kits. You can use strips, paint-on applicators or one-size-fits-all trays to apply the gel to your teeth. One disadvantage of using these trays other than customized ones is that only the front teeth are whitened while customized trays whiten the entire dental set.

Choosing any of the options is dependent on your budget and urgency. In- office whitening is the most expensive option, takes the shortest time, but requires a real-time session with your cosmetic dentist. Using over-the-counter products may take up to two weeks to achieve similar whitening as the other options. Before you choose the most convenient teeth whitening option, make sure you can take the process to the end for efficient whitening results.

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