Product Reviews Facts and Notes

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

Your dentist could offer a whitening medication 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, typically containing hydrogen peroxiden, to the surface of the teeth. This method will remove surface as well as deeper stains.

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

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

If you’d like to try to ‘do-it-yourself’, there are many teeth whitening products which can be purchased over-the-counter at your local pharmacy. These come up with products which use bleach in mouthguard trays as well as strips and gels. The bleaching agent used in home products is basically 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 good news is that OTC treatments range in cost from only $20 to $150! More cheaper than the cost of professional whitening.

Teeth whitening may sometimes make impermanent side effects such as sensitivity to hot and cold food and drinks or gum irritation if trays are being used and do not fit correctly. These minor complaints typically end when treatment is completed.