If you smoke or drink lots of coffee or dark colored drinks, the yellowing of your teeth will be worse. Our teeth have a tendency to yellow with time and age as it is. To help increase confidence and self-esteem, there are several teeth whitening solutions available to help restore the color of your teeth to their natural white.
Over the counter whitening products have varying issues. Whitening toothpaste is so normal now that it can almost be hard to get toothpaste without "whitening" ingredients. However, these toothpastes only remove very light surface stains. They can only lighten your teeth by about one shade - although they may also help slow yellowing over time by removing stains before they get deep into the tooth.
Whitening mouthwashes are also now available, but experts think they may not be very effective simply because they are in contact with the teeth for too short a time.
Some additional over the counter whitening options include strips and gels. These usually contain either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Strips are applied directly to the teeth while gels are applied using a small brush. There are also tray-based whitening systems that can be purchased over the counter or even from your local dentist.
Over the counter systems also have downsides such as the one size fits all approach and the heavy reliance on the person correctly using them, which can cause them to be less effective if they are not. Some permanent damage and irritation can also occur. Which can end up costing far more than the savings of using an over the counter whitening system.
Uneven whitening can happen if you have crowns or fillings making your teeth look worse instead of better. Also, if you are pregnant or lactating, waiting until after the baby is weaned is important. Children under 16 should not use whitening products. If you have sensitive teeth, speak with your dentist first. Cavities and gum problems should be addressed prior to whitening as additional damage can occur.
While in-office whitening solutions may be more expensive there are a lot of benefits. They are properly supervised and steps are taken to ensure you will not have any problems from the chosen procedure.
A slightly cheaper alternative is to buy a whitening tray from your dentist. These trays or "stents" are made from impressions of your teeth, all but eliminating any risk of tooth damage and significantly lowering the risk to your gums. You wear them for a few hours a day for a week or two. If stains are very severe, your dentist may recommend a crown or a porcelain veneer instead.
Over the counter whitening products have varying issues. Whitening toothpaste is so normal now that it can almost be hard to get toothpaste without "whitening" ingredients. However, these toothpastes only remove very light surface stains. They can only lighten your teeth by about one shade - although they may also help slow yellowing over time by removing stains before they get deep into the tooth.
Whitening mouthwashes are also now available, but experts think they may not be very effective simply because they are in contact with the teeth for too short a time.
Some additional over the counter whitening options include strips and gels. These usually contain either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Strips are applied directly to the teeth while gels are applied using a small brush. There are also tray-based whitening systems that can be purchased over the counter or even from your local dentist.
Over the counter systems also have downsides such as the one size fits all approach and the heavy reliance on the person correctly using them, which can cause them to be less effective if they are not. Some permanent damage and irritation can also occur. Which can end up costing far more than the savings of using an over the counter whitening system.
Uneven whitening can happen if you have crowns or fillings making your teeth look worse instead of better. Also, if you are pregnant or lactating, waiting until after the baby is weaned is important. Children under 16 should not use whitening products. If you have sensitive teeth, speak with your dentist first. Cavities and gum problems should be addressed prior to whitening as additional damage can occur.
While in-office whitening solutions may be more expensive there are a lot of benefits. They are properly supervised and steps are taken to ensure you will not have any problems from the chosen procedure.
A slightly cheaper alternative is to buy a whitening tray from your dentist. These trays or "stents" are made from impressions of your teeth, all but eliminating any risk of tooth damage and significantly lowering the risk to your gums. You wear them for a few hours a day for a week or two. If stains are very severe, your dentist may recommend a crown or a porcelain veneer instead.
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