Have you ever thought about having your teeth whitened? Many people long to get a perfect smile, sparkling teeth and all. In fact, 10 million Americans spend approximately 1.7 billion dollars on it annually. Teeth stains are inevitable because of the food, beverages and other habits that cause it to be so. Because of this, teeth whitening have become the most common dental cosmetic procedure. Aside from getting it done at the dentist’s clinic, ready to use teeth whitening kits are available at your local drugstore.
When you visit the dentist’s office for a teeth whitening procedure, he or she will either use carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide for it. More often, the chemical used is 15 to 35% hydrogen peroxide gels. The dentist would first examine the teeth for any sign of dental problems, including the gums before starting the teeth whitening procedure. A high intensity light may be used to facilitate the process. The dentist may use a pumice to gently clean the teeth and places a barrier to protect the gums from the harsh chemical. The procedure often lasts 40 minutes with an improvement of 4 to 6 shades in terms of whiteness.
At home systems usually use 10 to 20% carbamide peroxide. Having the dentist supervise the procedure is more effective. The dentist usually makes mold trays to facilitate the process. These molds, in which a thin strip of the whitening agent is applied, are worn by the patient for at least two hours everyday or when sleeping. At home teeth whitening usually take up one to two weeks. Stubborn stains may take up to six weeks. The combination of in-office and at-home procedures results to improvements of 12 to 15 shades. At home procedures may achieve the same results but would take a longer period of time.
Using over the counter whitening kits is cheaper. Dentists’ fees for teeth whitening range from 300 to 1,000 dollars while over the counter whitening kits don’t usually go over 35 dollars. Some can even be bought for less than 10 dollars. Dentist supervised teeth whitening though have more advantages for the patient which often includes a professional assessment if one is a good candidate for teeth whitening.
The primary reason why over the counter teeth whitening kits are popular is because they are less costly. However, one should always consider that unsupervised teeth whitening can have negative effects on dental health because of varied reasons. It’s good to think about saving some money but ensure that no further problems will arise because of it.
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