At home teeth whitening options
Don’t like the idea of seeing your dentist for teeth whitening? At home teeth whitening is possible. Find out which one suits your need better.
Some people prefer to seek professional help when it comes to teeth whitening, but there are more that would rather do teeth whitening at home for convenience sake and to save money.
Whitening teeth at home can be done at any time you wish, comfortably at your favorite corner in the house. Plus, you prevent burning a big hole in your pocket. Well, maybe there are just some people who simply don’t like the idea of seeing their dentist. Whatever your reason is, just choose what is best for you.
Today there are many teeth whitening products that you can use at home, ranging from whitening toothpastes, over-the-counter tooth whitening gels, to teeth whitening trays, rinses and strips.
Whitening toothpastes
The toothpastes we use daily contain mild abrasives to help remove surface stains, while some whitening toothpastes contain additional gentle chemical or polishing agents to provide extra stain removal effectiveness. However, common whitening toothpastes do not contain bleach, so their stain removal action is limited to surface stains only.
Professional teeth whitening products, on the other hand, has a certain percentage of bleaching agent in their formulation, such as carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide, to help lighten the color from deep within the tooth. As far as effectiveness is concerned, at home teeth whitening toothpastes can lighten teeth color by about one shade only.
Teeth whitening gels
Over-the-counter teeth whitening gels are basically gels containing peroxide (a bleaching agent). They are easy to use—just apply to your teeth using a small brush. In general, you will apply the gel twice a day, for 2 weeks. You can start to see results in a few days. The final results usually can sustain for about 4 months.
Teeth whitening strips
Similar to teeth whitening gels, teeth whitening strips works through the action of a peroxide agent. Whitening strips are very thin and coated with a peroxide-based whitening gel. The way to use it is by applying it onto your teeth twice daily for 30 minutes, for 2 weeks. The results with whitening strips are similar to teeth whitening gels.
Whitening rinses
One of the latest at home teeth whitening products is whitening rinses. They basically work like mouthwashes–refreshes your breath, helps reduce dental plaque and gum diseases. But they have additional teeth whitening effect because they contain ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide. Use it by swishing the liquid in your mouth for about 1 minute, two times daily before brushing your teeth.
Teeth whitening rinses are way much cheaper than the gels or strips, and are easier to use compared to the other types of at home teeth whitening products. However, it will take a longer time (about 3 months) to see results, and may not be as effective as other over-the-counter teeth whitening products.
Tray-based teeth whitening products
Teeth whitening trays are mouth guard-like trays filled with gel whitening solution that contains a peroxide bleaching agent. The user will wear the tray for a couple hours a day to every day during the night, for up to 1 month or even longer depending on how bad the teeth are stained and the desired level of whitening.
You may want to discuss with your dentist to find out which at home teeth whitening product is best for you.
