Teeth Whitening Techniques

by Ryan Larson

Copyright 2005

There was a time when dazzling white smiles belonged to those

who sashay down the red carpet in Hollywood. Today teeth

whitening has become the fastest growing type of cosmetic

dental procedure performed. Depending on the type of tooth

whitening technique you choose the price ranges from a ten

dollars for a tube of whitening toothpaste to up to $600.00 for

in office laser teeth whitening.

The Cadillac of teeth whitening is the in office laser system.

This is the costliest, but fastest way to achieve white teeth.

Laser teeth whitening is a very simple procedure. The dentist

applies a bleaching gel to your teeth (after putting protection

over your gums) and places a laser light in front of your mouth.

The cleaning action of the gel is activated by the light. This

gel is left on your teeth for twenty minutes. The application

is generally applied two more times to your teeth. In about one

hour you leave the dentists office with the whitest teeth

possible.

A very popular and mid priced tooth whitening technique is the

tray based system. You can purchase these systems in stores.

However, they are best if you have the trays made by your

dentist. It takes a very short time in the office to have an

impression made of your upper and lower teeth. Within a week

the dentist will have a soft flexible plastic mold for you.

He'll give you the gel, which is generally a 10% carbamide

peroxide and he'll instruct you in how to use the tray and tell

you how often. Results are seen quickly with a tray system.

Whitening strips are a recent addition to the market,

introduced in 2001. They are quite inexpensive and do work, but

may not deliver the exact results that you think. The strips

have the advantage of having the exact dose of carbamide

peroxide pre applied on them. However, the whitening strips

will only whiten the teeth they come in direct contact with.

The strips generally cover the six center teeth, eyetooth to

eyetooth. Some people find their smile is longer than the strip

allows for. You will not achieve a full mouth of white teeth

using whitening strips.

Another type of whitening system is whitening toothpaste.

Whitening toothpastes have many drawbacks. They take a very

long time to show real results. Read their claims carefully.

The success of whitening toothpaste is directly related to how

long and how often you brush. However, over-brushing your teeth

can cause the loss of tooth enamel. Tooth enamel cannot be

replaced. Also, whitening toothpastes only affect the outside

layer of enamel. This will make the yellowness of deeper layers

of teeth more pronounced. Many people will whiten their teeth

using an in office laser, or a tray system and then use

whitening toothpaste to help keep their teeth white.

About The Author: This article courtesy of

http://www.smiling-brighter.com