Teeth Whitening – The Options
Not many people are lucky enough to be born with a perfect set of pearly white teeth. As we age, teeth seem to yellow, for some of us more than others. There is nothing worse than catching sight of a photo of yourself with a mouth full of yellowish off-colored teeth. Smoking, caffeine and bad dental hygiene can all lead to yellowed teeth. As we age, the mineral structure of the tooth changes which causes them to darken naturally. For those that wish to turn back the clock, modern dentistry offers many options for teeth whitening.
One of the most popular teeth whitening procedures is Zoom. If you’ve ever watched a makeover program, you will likely be familiar with Zoom whitening and the transformative effects it can have on a smile in just over an hour. The number of cosmetic dentists who specialize in Zoom has increased rapidly over the last few years, so pricing has dropped making the procedure more affordable than it used to be. Offering to whiten your teeth by up to six shades, it is certainly an effective option. Zoom works through the use of a laser, combined with a gel, to effectively whiten your teeth.
Most of the time you will need to visit the dentist on two separate occasions to get Zoom Whitening. The first time they will explain the procedure and fit you for a mouth guard. On the second visit you will actually have the whitening done. For some people the actual whitening process can be painful, but this is not always the case. The thicker the enamel coating of the tooth, the less painful it will be. It takes between forty five minutes and an hour for the actual whitening to be completed.
Afterward, you are provided with some maintenance gel, which are used in conjunction with the mouth guards you were fitted for on your first visit. For about a week after your treatment you need to use these every day. After this, you can just use it whenever you need to whiten up, or if you have a special event.
If laser whitening is not for you, you can try traditional bleaching. You chose between high concentration or low concentration bleaching. High Concentration bleaching is usually performed in the dentist’s office. Using a mouth guard, a bleaching gel is applied to the teeth for around twenty minutes. This is repeated over two or three visits. High concentration bleaching has good results, it just needs a few more visits than laser bleaching.
Low concentration bleaching works much the same, but is usually performed at home with a chemist or supermarket bought gel. It is administered with a mouth guard, much the same way as high concentration bleaching. The peroxide concentration in the gel is much lower, and the results are not as good as that achieved when administered by a dental professional.
For the best whitening results a visit to the dentist is in order. Home teeth whitening procedures provide little result. While a little more expensive, dentist whitening services provide striking results which are also long lasting.
