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Tooth Whitening

There’s nothing like a beaming, white smile to help you both look and feel more confident. If your teeth aren’t up to the job it can really affect your confidence, but there are some products and procedures available which can really help to improve your smile.

Tooth Whitening

For some people, the appearance they have after regular brushing and dental check-ups is enough to keep them happy, but for others, they would prefer to improve the appearance and whiteness of their teeth even more. There are a few options available to do this:

• whitening toothpastes
• at home bleaching kits
• bleaching treatments from your dentist

If you really would like to make your teeth appear whiter than white, then the first thing you need to do is to discuss your options with your dentist. Not all treatments work the same, for all types of teeth. You see, our teeth are not all the same and do react differently to the different types of treatment on offer. If your teeth are yellowish, for example, a bleach will probably take very well, but people who have grayish colored teeth don’t always get such sparkling results. You also need to think about whether you’ve got fillings in the front of your teeth, the bleach won’t affect these fillings so you could just end up emphasizing them even more if the rest of your teeth are dazzling. Your dentist will be able to advise you on all of those things, which you might not have thought about.

Tooth Whitening Options

• Whitening Toothpastes – while all toothpastes are designed to clean the surface of the teeth and remove mild stains with their abrasive properties, some whitening toothpastes also contain special polishing agents or chemicals which provide a little extra effectiveness in the stain removal department. Don’t expect the results to be immediate, but over time you should notice that your smile will get whiter and brighter. These don’t, however, alter the actual color of your teeth.
• At Home Tooth Bleaching Kits – there are a variety of kits to choose from, and they can be bought either online, at your dentists or from over the counter pharmacies. They are available in different strengths and each will have their own specific instructions WHICH MUST BE FOLLOWED. Some of the milder at home tooth bleaching kits should be used a couple of times every day for two weeks before the full effect is noticed, others are used overnight. If you do use one of these kits you might find that your teeth become more sensitive, or other problems occurring – sensitivity should only be short-lived, but if you do have any problems don’t forget to tell your dentist.
• Dental Bleaching at the Dentists – your dentist may suggest that you visit the office for a bleaching session, which will generally last around 30 minutes to an hour. The first thing that the dentist will do is to apply protective gel to your gums, or perhaps a rubber shield which should protect all of the soft tissue. After applying a bleaching agent onto the teeth, sometimes a special light is used to speed up the whitening process. Lasers are another method which can help to enhance the whitening agent.