Teeth Whitening Resource

Aging is a hot topic right now, or rather how to fight aging. There are numerous anti-wrinkle creams out there, and new surgical procedures are being developed every day it seems. Still, your skin can be as smooth as a baby's posterior and your teeth will still give you away. There's no need to despair though. You can choose from a number of teeth whitening procedures that you can do at home or in a dentist's office.

Let's start with at-home teeth whitening. Such procedures tend to be cheaper than visiting a dentist so they are widely popular. These teeth whitening products include brush-on gels and strips. You're surely familiar with at least one such product since the number of ads for teeth whitening is probably surpassed only by those for weight loss products. While you will save some money, at-home teeth whitening products typically have a lower concentration of peroxide, which is the ingredient that actually whitens teeth. Therefore, they are not quite as effective as professional products and procedures. In addition, they may contain unwanted substances, such as alcohol or acids, which can lead to some very bad side effects.

Consequently, it may be better to just visit your dentist. Dental teeth whitening is a slower, more expensive process though. Generally, the dentist makes a mold of your teeth and gums, which is then filled with peroxide and put into place for roughly two hours. Very strong solutions of peroxide can't be used since they will damage your mouth so you'll need to undergo this process a few more times before you really see a huge difference. Another teeth whitening technique your dentist may use is to apply a peroxide gel, which is then activated by special lighting. This teeth whitening technique, known as Laser Bleaching, is very effective but also very costly.

One important thing to note, regarding teeth whitening, is that the techniques will only work on your own teeth. You won't be able to whiten dentures, veneers or crowns, but you own teeth can return to the same color they were before you became addicted to coffee and cigarettes. If you haven't yet, you'll need to cut these things out once you've undergone teeth whitening, to ensure that they don't get re-stained. You'll probably have to suffer through sensitive teeth and sore gums for a few days, but your shiny new smile is worth it. Teeth whitening can last anywhere from six months to a few years, depending on how well you care for your teeth, so be good to them.