Monday, March 2, 2009

Teeth Whitening - Overview

By Anne Durrel

Teeth Whitening is a cosmetic treatment done to improve the appearance of teeth and the process involves using bleach or other materials to make teeth look whiter. Teeth are whitened to remove the effects of coffee, cigarettes, and other substances that permanently stain or discolor teeth. Some medications such as tetracycline and absorbing too much floride can affect tooth color and teeth also tend to loose their bright color with age.

Your dentist could give a whitening treatment known as 'chairside bleaching', 'in-office', or 'power bleaching'. After applying a protective gel to the patient's gums and tissue, the dentist then applies a whitening solution, normally containing hydrogen peroxiden, to the surface of the teeth. This method will remove surface as well as deeper stains.

A professional teeth whitening treatment could take from thirty minutes to an hour to complete and possibly will require additional treatments to get the desired results. You could expect to pay from $500 to $1,000 to whiten your entire mouth with laser medications at the high end cost of $1,000 or more. However, there are advantages to in-house teeth whitening that may well justify the price. Important advantages being speed, convenience, and outcome predictability as well as an impressive change (nine to 10 shades lighter!) in only about an hour.

Teeth whitening is not safe or effective for everyone, so have a dental test before starting treatment. Also, whitening possibly will not work fine on several stain colors so let your dentist recommend you as to what results you should expect.

If you'd like to try to 'do-it-yourself', there are many teeth whitening products that can be purchased over-the-counter at your local pharmacy. These include products which use bleach in mouthguard trays as well as strips and gels. The bleaching agent used in home products is usually carbamide peroxide, which is not as strong as the hydrogen peroxide professionals use, so the at-home whitening process will normally take between two and three weeks. The excellent news is that OTC medications range in cost from only $20 to $150! Far less than the cost of professional whitening.

Teeth whitening may sometimes generate impermanent side effects for example sensitivity to hot and cold food and drinks or gum irritation if trays are being used and do not fit properly. These small complaints typically end when medication is completed. - 16036

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