If you want a smile makeover for that special occasion or are just conscious about your stained teeth due to excessive smoking and coffee consumption, teeth whitening is the ideal solution for you. It would not only enhance your smile but also increase your self-esteem. It is better for one to know about the essential facts regarding teeth whitening, its categories and the cost incurred before choosing a method. The below mentioned facts give one an idea about all these factors.
What is teeth whitening?
Teeth whitening comes under the purview of cosmetic dentistry. This process helps remove the discolorations caused by regular usage of beverages and other lifestyle choices. Moreover, teeth whitening also helps reduce the pigmentation marks formed on teeth in the normal course of time.
The success of the treatment will obviously depend upon the degree to which the teeth have been discolored. If the stains are due to tea, coffee or smoking then whitening treatment can lighten the teeth up to four or five shades. If the stains are a result of hereditary factors or intake of antibiotics then expect the teeth to be brighter by two to three shades.
Teeth whitening can be undertaken by two methods namely:
Professional whitening systems – A professional treatment involves going to the dentist who use whitening gel in conjunction with a laser treatment to achieve the desired result. The main concern is the cost of these applications.
Home based remedies – It is done at home during the gap between professional appointments where one uses tray based whitening techniques customized by a dentist or follows completely home-made remedies. One’s dentist can prescribe the technique to be followed or if you wish you can also follow the instructions provided on the kit.
It is true that your teeth would be considerably brighter after using these at home whitening kits.
Apart from the time factor involved one must also take into consideration the cost involved in a teeth whitening treatment. Going to the dentist might set you back by about 500 to 2000$, depending upon the severity of the case. Home based bleaching trays personalized by dentists would be available in the range 100 to 300$. Over the counter whiteners such as Crest Night Effect and Colgate Simply White Night are relatively inexpensive but they are not very strong.
The moot point is that one must first decide whether or not to whiten ones teeth or not and if the answer is yes, then to make a careful study of the pros and cons of choosing a whitening method. Whichever method you choose, your teeth are definitely going to be brighter and better.
At home teeth whitening kits with strong gels and self bade teeth whitening trays can be an optimum solution. It costs less than professional treatments and stronger than Crest of Colgate. Best of both worlds..
It must be noted that the gels used in teeth whitening contain peroxide which make the tooth extremely sensitive to hot and cold food. If you have sensitive teeth you may use re-mineralization gels. Poorly mold whitening trays can lead to oversensitive gums. Because poorly made trays will leak the gel to gums.
Some over-the-counter whitening kits damage the enamels making it thin and brittle. In some cases, the underlying dentin gets exposed which gradually gets discolored. Therefore, before going for a treatment, do consider these factors and decide which is more important to you – a perfect smile or the health of your teeth.
There are different strength levels of carbamide peroxide teeth whitening gels.