Teeth Whitening With Tray Based Systems

by Jeff Slokum

Copyright 2005

There is nothing like a white smile. It conveys to the world

good health and confidence. There was a time when dazzling

white smiles were only seen on the red carpet, but no more.

Today there are literally hundreds of tooth whiteners available

on the market. These products range in price from several

dollars up to hundreds of dollars. You can have teeth whitening

done by the dentist in his office in about one hour, or you can

buy a teeth whitening system from your dentist to use at home.

In office laser tooth whitening can cost $600.00 for one

session. If you don't have a bundle of money to spend and you

don't have to see the results immediately, then whitening your

teeth at home may be for you. The most popular in home teeth

whitening systems are tray based systems.

Your dentist will perform a thorough examination of you teeth

and gums before starting your teeth whitening treatment. He'll

want to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy, which will

help to cut down on potentially painful side effects. If you

have receding gums you are at more of a risk to suffer from gum

tenderness when using a tray treatment.

You will need to decide if you're going to whiten both upper

and lower teeth. If you only have one dental tray made the

price is much lower than if you have two made. It's best to go

ahead and whiten both at the same time. You don't want to have

a set of brilliant white top teeth and dingy yellow bottom

teeth - not a good look. Your dentist will also advise you that

any dental restorations you may have will not whiten. If there

is an obvious noticeable difference you may have opt to have

the restoration replaced once the desired level of whitening

has been achieved.

In order to help you see your progress your dentist will

determine your current tooth shade on a chart. This way when

you return for a check up you'll be able to see how much whiter

your teeth are. Your dentist will take an impression of your

upper and lower teeth. These impressions will be turned into

clear soft flexible plastic trays. These trays will be trimmed

so they cover each tooth, but not the gum line.

When you see your dentist and are given the trays, generally a

few days after the impressions are made, the dentist will make

sure the impressions fit well and are comfortable. He or she

will give you the 10% carbamide peroxide gel to use in the

trays. They'll also show you how to put the gel in the tray and

how to avoid getting excess gel on your gums.

Your dentist will give you instructions on how long to wear the

trays. Some dentists recommend not wearing them for longer than

four hours to minimize potential gum tenderness. Some people

are able to wear them overnight. It is suggested that if you

can't wear your tray for at least four hours you don't. Less

than four hours is a waste of the gel.

Studies have shown that the effects of the tray based teeth

whitening can last from one to three years although some people

do occasional touch ups to help keep their teeth as white as

possible.

About The Author: This article courtesy of

http://www.whiter-teeth-guide.com

http://www.white-teeth-guide.com