The Two Types of Dentist Whitening

There are two types of procedures your dentist can do for you in his or her office. You can choose in office bleaching, or a laser treatment. These procedures actually change the color of your teeth, rather than just removing surface stains.

In office bleaching can be very effective – you see immediate results which can last for months. The dentist first applies a protective shield or gel to your gums, to prevent any soft tissue damage from the bleaching agent.

The dentist then applies the bleaching agent, painting it onto your teeth. The bleaching agent sits on your teeth for half an hour to an hour, breaking down into its component parts and putting oxygen into your enamel, which whitens your tooth enamel. You may have to go more than once for this procedure in order to get the desired effect.

Laser treatments can be very expensive, but they can also lighten your teeth up to six shades more than in office bleaching. It is the most effective treatment for whitening teeth. Laser treatment, also called power whitening, is added onto in office bleaching.

A rubber shield is placed over the gums, the bleaching agent is applied, and a light is shone onto the teeth. Depending on the light or laser, the light may be stationary or the dentist may move it from tooth to tooth. The light speeds up the chemical breakdown of the peroxide, and thus more oxygen gets into the enamel.

This procedure usually accomplishes results in one treatment, and the effects last up to three years.

With either procedure, the dentist will usually add fluoride to the bleaching agent, so as to minimize any weakening of the enamel. Some people feel an increase in tooth sensitivity or some gum irritation, but these side effects are temporary.

Five Things you Need to Know about Whitening

I've touched on this before in an earlier post about "when teeth whitening won't work". Although whitening your smile isn't for every person (and there are certain conditions that will not allow bleaching or stain removal to be 100% effective), there are some basic things that you need to be aware of that not many people are talking about when it comes to teeth bleaching.

1. Fillings, crowns, and veneers are not able to be bleached or whitened. When you got these things done, the dentist took the current color of your real teeth (which are able to be bleached) and made a perfect match in the coloring at that time. This stain is not a "stain" it is a sort of dye and coloring that goes through the entire material of your filling or veneer.

2. People who have gum disease, or cavities, should not be getting their teeth whitened. This is usually common knowledge to your dentist, but if you're getting the teeth whitening strips and doing the whitening by yourself, you must be aware that you are making an already bad situation worse. Make sure you get all dental work finished before you whiten your teeth. It's even recommended that you get your teeth cleaned before actually attempting to get your teeth whitened.

3. Some stains do not come out. This is a sad occurrence but it usually happens. As I said in an earlier post, if your stains are there because you were born with them, then it will be extremely difficult, or not even possible, to get them out. Talk with our dentist about this, though; he or she will know the exact steps to take in this case.

4. Once you have your teeth whitened you will most likely need to have your teeth "touched up" or maintained through occasional re-whitening. This is only the natural progression of teeth as you eat, drink, and breathe. It's not that the whitening was ineffective, it is that your teeth are still able to get new stains after the old ones have been removed.

5. If you decide to go to the dentist for your teeth to be whitened, then you're going to need to check and see if your dental insurance is covering the cost or not. Many dental whitening procedures can be fairly pricey (although the most effective), and most insurance plans DO NOT cover whitening. This is something that you need to make sure you research before committing to a whitening system from your dentist.

What do you think? Have anything to add? You are more than welcome to comment, complain, or whatever you feel is necessary! What experiences with teeth whitening have you had? Leave a comment!

One of The Best Teeth Whitening Products?

You've probably walked through the toothpaste aisle, and thought: man, those stupid whitening things are just too expensive for me. While I guess to a certain degree that is true, it's not nearly as expensive as you might think when it comes to a) how much gas it took to drive you to the store and back, b) what it can do for your confidence in the long run, and c) the best quality for your dollar. Which leads me into the topic of today's entry:

What is One of the Best Teeth Whitening Products?

You see, that's a loaded, and rather unfair question to ask because they all "work" if you follow their directions. However, the best possible one for you might be a different story. There have to be different factors that you consider.

A) The cost.
-Is it in your budget?

B) Effectiveness.
-Does it even work?

C) Permanence.
-Will the affects stick?

You see, when you're looking for the best teeth whitening products, you're going to need to weigh all of these together to create the most effective whitening solution for you. My recommendation: start off cheap. Go for fluorides, or toothpastes that have been proven to help whiten teeth. After that, you can move up if they don't work.

How to Get White Teeth when You've Done it All

There are certain things that we are just incapable of doing. One of those things is that sometimes, we can't get the stains off of our teeth.

Sure, it's not the end of the world, but at times, it can be a little annoying, and still make us a tad bit uncomfortable and self-conscious. That's when we need to contact our dentists.

Now, dentists have a bad reputation due to movies, drill noises, and because they're associated with toothaches. However, when you're looking to get a great smile, your dentist may know a thing or two.

There are a variety of alternatives that your dentist may advise, but one of the most effective could most likely be LaserSmile. LaserSmile tooth whitening is safe, and no other method produces a better result for anyone wanting whiter teeth right away.

However, be sure to know the cost in your area. That's why I suggest you go and visit your dentist if everything you've done is not working up to this point.