People want to have beautiful smiles. However, as people age, their teeth tend to get stained and discolored. Whitening your teeth is a relatively inexpensive way to improve your smile. You have the option of getting this procedure done in the dentist's office or using a home whitening product. Both methods can give you visible results.
Methods
The two main types of teeth whitening methods are those that are done in the dentist's office, which usually use hydrogen peroxide, and those that are done at home, which usually use carbamide peroxide. Treatments done in the dentist's office use gels or gels with the addition of some type of light meant to speed up the whitening process. Home treatments include gels with trays, paint on gels, strips, toothpastes and chewing gums.
Results
Whiteners that use some form of peroxide to bleach the teeth are best for reaching intrinsic stains, according to the American Dental Association, or ADA, since other methods such as toothpastes merely remove surface stains. The ADA has a Seal of Acceptance program to help consumers to determine which home whiteners are safe and effective.
The ADA also states that in-office whitening usually takes from one to six office visits to get optimal results, while home treatment using trays can take from three days to six weeks, or even longer if the teeth are stained by nicotine or tetracycline. Home treatments that use hydrogen peroxide require more treatments for shorter lengths of time, while carbamine peroxide treatments use fewer treatments for longer periods of time.
Considerations
Teeth whitening does not affect dental work, so if you have crowns or other dental restorations you might end up with teeth of different shades. Also, some types of discoloration including that caused by tooth decay or white discolorations, do not typically show improvement with bleaching, according to the ADA.
Although many dental offices now use lights as well as gels during the bleaching process, a 2005 study by Gerard Kugel published in the Journal of Dental Research found that this type of combination treatment led to moderate to severe tooth sensitivity and that most of the initial advantage in color change disappeared as the tooth color rebounded considerably within a week.
Warning
Tooth whitening is generally considered to be safe by the ADA, but there are studies that show some detrimental effects, according to the Ohio State University Research News. One such study published in the Journal of Dentistry showed that dental enamel is slightly weakened by many home whitening products, making it less hard and less likely to be able to bounce back after being struck. The products tested included both strip and tray based whitening methods.
Because there are no studies showing the safety of using either home-based or office-based teeth whitening during pregnancy, the ADA recommends putting the procedure off until after pregnancy.
Expert Insight
The American Dental Association recommends that no dental whitening treatment be used without consultation with a dentist. The dentist can help you to determine which treatment would be the best for you given the condition of your teeth and any dental work you might have. They can also make sure that you have realistic expectations as to the possible results based on these same factors and the treatment you choose.
References
- American Dental Association: Tooth Whitening/Bleaching: Treatment Considerations for Dentists and Their Patients
- American Dental Association: Statement on the Safety and Effectiveness of Tooth Whitening Products
- The Ohio State University Research News: Home Tooth Bleaching Slightly Reduces Enamel Strength
- Journal of Dental Research: Clinical Trial Assessing Light Enhancement of In-Office Tooth Whitening
