What To Know About Teeth Whitening

By Emilia Canale

Nowadays, people are talking about teeth whitening. There are many different options from at-home kits to visits to the dentist's office. Determining which of these choices is best for you is not a hard task. Simply ask yourself a few questions: How dark are my teeth now? How is my age a factor? What will my budget allow?

Time yellows all teeth. This is because while enamel is white, the tooth underneath is naturally a yellow-brown color. As enamel wears away, the natural color becomes more visible. Additionally, as the enamel begins to break down, chips and cracks form and food and other colorants get trapped inside and stain the teeth. The younger the person, the easier it is to clear away the stains. This is because there is less built up and because there is less of the natural yellowish color exposed. So, what options are there?

The most convenient option is an over-the-counter product. There are many to pick from and can be found at most grocery, drug and discount department stores. These are bleaching gels generally painted on with an applicator brush or applied with strips or trays. In many cases, these will only whiten the front teeth, which may be sufficient for your needs. More than one application may be required.

Then there are whitening kits which are given my dental professionals. These use a lower concentration or peroxide which can be left on the teeth longer, often overnight. They are applied with custom made bleaching trays that fit in your mouth like a mouth guard.

After that, we have the office visits. Of course this is done by a dentist or trained dental technician. This procedure uses a higher concentration of peroxide that is left on the teeth for 15-20 minutes at a time. Depending on the age and penetration of the stains, this may require additional visits or a combined effort with home kits.

So, how much do they cost? Store kits will cost about $20-$50 per treatment. It may be a good place to start, just to see how your teeth respond. Dentist-given kits range from $100 to $300. Again, if you have been noticing discoloration for several years, you may want a custom program. Unlike store kits, which often only color the front teeth, the dental kits will whiten all of your teeth because the mouth tray is designed to cover them all. As for dental visits, they average about $600 each. The good thing here is that the results are longer lasting and are great for problem yellowing. Older people may chose this option since they will likely have more of that natural yellow showing and will need a stronger solution. The best thing is to think about all the factors involved and talk to your dentist about what best suits your needs and your budget. - 30292

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here