Local Dental Care - Illinois Teeth Whitening Laser

Teeth Whitener Options: Different Ways to Brighten Your Teeth

"Tooth whitening" is a broad term, and it's sometimes hard to know what's the right tooth whitener for you. Wondering what your options are?

• Teeth whitening or laser bleaching at the dentist's office
• At-home bleaching kits provided by your dentist
• Over-the-counter tooth whiteners sold at pharmacies, grocery stores, etc.

You'll get the most dramatic results if you see your dentist for instant whitening. Dentists apply a powerful bleaching agent to your teeth for a short period of time. (In laser teeth whitening, the dentist uses laser light to activate the bleaching agent.) The appointment typically takes about an hour and can lighten teeth by a number of shades. For deep-down tooth stains, multiple sessions may be required to achieve maximum brightness.

Your dentist can also give you a kit that allows you to bleach your teeth in the comfort and privacy of your own home. Your dentist will take molds of your teeth to create customized dental trays; made of thin plastic, the trays slide over your teeth and provide a tight seal. Each day (or night), you'll put a small amount of bleaching paste or gel in the trays, then slide them over your teeth. Most people wear the trays for about half an hour a day for two weeks.

If you're skipping the dentist and buying tooth whiteners at the store without a prescription, you're not getting the same type of whitening offered by cosmetic dentists. These products will do the job, but they will never be as effective as what you'll get from a dentist. By law, over-the-counter tooth whitening products cannot use as strong of bleaching agents as those used by licensed dentists.

These commercial products come in a number of forms. Whitening toothpaste has been around for a long time, and whitening strips have become increasingly popular. They may provide a bleaching gel that you paint on your teeth or apply via one-size-fits-all bleaching trays.

In considering your teeth bleaching options, you should ask yourself how much money you're willing to spend and how many shades whiter you want your teeth to be. Your dentist can also help you decide what's the right method for you.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Best Teeth Whitening Methods for the Most Dramatic Results

Teeth whiteners are available everywhere these days: at the grocery store, the drug store, the beauty counter, even at mall kiosks. But if you want really white teeth, you need to know that not all teeth whitening products are the same.

Whitening toothpaste will brighten your smile a little bit. Whitening strips might lighten your teeth a little bit more. But they will never whiten teeth as quickly and effectively as professional teeth whitening.

The best teeth whitening products are only available to licensed dentists. Since it's possible to over-bleach teeth or irritate gums, only professionals can legally use the strongest tooth whiteners that contain relatively high levels of hydrogen peroxide. This sort of teeth whitener can whiten teeth by several shades in just one appointment.

Laser teeth whitening goes even one step further. In this method, laser light speeds the teeth bleaching process. The Zoom Chairside Whitening System is an example of this sort of instant whitening, but there are other systems that use lasers to activate the tooth bleaching agent.

If you have very badly stained teeth, it might take multiple tooth whitening sessions to give you your whitest smile. While most tooth whitening can lighten yellow teeth that have been stained by coffee, tea, or smoking, some stains are harder to remove. For example, some medications can cause stains deep within teeth that even the best teeth whitener cannot remove. Patients with intrinsic stains like that may opt for teeth veneers instead, since dental veneers let you make your teeth as white as you want.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.