Teeth Whitener Options

Teeth whitening has become a common occurrence for people who’d like to have a more attractive smile. Not all products called teeth whitener are actually the same.

Most toothpaste fall under the category of teeth whitener because they all do the same thing: use abrasives and chemical agents to remove debris and surface stains from the teeth. True teeth whitener contains a bleaching agent that isn’t found in toothpastes. This bleaching agent will actually get the deeper stains that have set in under the enamel in the tooth core, called dentin. True teeth whitener will contain bleaching agents such as carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Whitening toothpastes will lighten your teeth by one shade, cleaning food debris and stains out of the cracks in your enamel while true teeth whitener can change your tooth shade from three to seven shades.

There are several options when looking for products to whiten your teeth. There are over the counter strips and gels, rinses, at home kits, or you can have your dentist do it for an in office visit.

Dentist procedures will generally be very expensive, yet have the best results over all. Your dentist can also give you some idea of how effective the treatment will be. Because dentists use a method that has a higher concentration of the bleaching agent you could have some temporary sensitivity in your teeth and some gum irritation. Many dentists use the bleaching agent in combinations with a light, heat, or a special laser. This may also require several treatments. However, one visit could produce quite satisfying results. Whole mouth bleaching in a dentist office could cost you from $500 to $1000.

The cost is the reason why many people may opt to use an at home kit. These are purchased either from your dentist or from a store. An at home kit generally consists of the gel containing the bleaching agent and a mouth tray to protect your gums and hold the gel. These trays may have to stay in your mouth from 30 minutes to an entire night depending on the results you are looking for. Generally these can cost from $20 to $150, but it is significantly cheaper than a dental visit. 

A newer type of teeth whitener is whitening rinses. These will do the job of standard mouth washes and also include a bleaching agent. It will take much longer to see the results of using this method, 12 weeks. However it costs less and is much less complicated. Whitening rinses are used twice a day before brushing your teeth just like mouthwashes are. Naturally this method will be less effective as you are not keeping the bleaching agent directly on your teeth. Rinses generally cost about $10 for a month long supply.

The final method is whitening strips or gels. Gels will be brushed on to your teeth twice a day. Strips are applied to your teeth twice a day for half an hour. Both will give you small results in a few days and you should see your final results within two weeks. However, while these may be more of an improvement over rinses, you will not achieve the same results you would have with an at home kit or dentist visit.

Only you can decide which method is best for you. Keep your expectations low though, as your results cannot be guaranteed to be as dramatic as someone else’s.