I've been looking into teeth whitening for a while now. Naturally white gnashers are pretty hard to maintain especially if you're like me and you love the red wine and tea a little too much! Now I've tried a few whitening strips before and they have done me well up until now, however I've been looking for something a little more permanent and also instant; the strips need regular use and instant results aren't always obvious.
While carrying out my research I stumbled on a few bits of info I wanted to share with you guys. Some tooth whitening methods can be costly so I think it's important to know all of the facts before you commit!
T O O T H W H I T E N I N G T O O T H P A S T E S
I've never been a fan of this stuff. I've never seen results even after continual use plus it's usually pretty pricey. It's also worthwhile noting that theres quite a lot of bad press surrounding whitening toothpastes at the moment; there's a possibility that the ingredients in the paste isn't all that good for your teeth and may actually wear away your enamel! The bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide is at the centre of the dispute. It's actually considered carcinogenic and may enfeeble teeth.
T H E H O M E K I T
The home whitening kit is pretty popular however it'll set you back a good £100 and take around a fortnight to work. The process requires the hydrogen peroxide mixture to be placed in trays and secured to your teeth. I've actually used a home whitening kit before. I can't say I noticed a huge improvement in the whiteness of my teeth... It didn't feel it was worth the price tag to be honest!
L A S E R T O O T H W H I T E N I N G
This treatment can take between 15 minutes and an hour and is the most expensive on the market, costing a minimum of £600. Dentists claim that this will make your teeth at least 11 shades lighter, which is a pretty huge claim! Unlike toothpastes that remove the residue on the enamel, laser whitening bleaches the surface of your teeth. It's thought that the staining of food and drink particles is delayed for a longer period after you've had laser teeth whitening too.
M O U T H G U A R D W H I T E N I N G
Once the treatment is performed, you are given a mouth guard by your dentist which is created by making an impression of your teeth. Over the course of a month you apply a bleaching gel to the guard. If you wear it for an extensive period of time, depending on the gel used, you may find that you can shorten the time you have to wear the mouth guard.
F U R T H E R A W A R E N E S S
Be aware that if you have followed a treatment of tetracycline antibiotics a whitening technique may not remove stains. Having a reliable dentist to offer a realistic assessment beforehand is vital. Any kind of outcome from using teeth whitening procedures will depend on the extent of the teeth marking and staining. A lot of these whitening techniques can be costly to it's important to ensure that that any affordable teeth whitening treatments are fully explained and researched.
T O O T H W E A K E N I N G
There's conflicting arguments about the harm of these procedures. Some studies claim that harsh approaches to whitening teeth lead to demineralisation that can harm the tooth. I would recommend choosing a tooth whitening procedure that you feel suits you best and then speaking to your dentist about it. Ask him/ her as many questions as you can and ensure they explain the risks involved. And don't forget... Keep brushing!
I hope this post helped some of you if you're considering a tooth whitening procedure yourself. Be sure to let me know if you've tried any of these techniques; I'd love to hear about your experiences!
DML
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