3 Options For Whiter Teeth

Dentist Blog

Do you feel like your teeth aren't as white as they could be? Do you want to improve the brightness of your smile? The good news is that stained and yellow teeth aren't permanent. There are steps you can take to remove staining from your teeth to get a whiter and brighter smile. Before choosing a whitening method, you should consider your budget and how much time you want to put into the whitening process. Some whitening methods are more expensive than others, but also may get quicker results. Here are three good options for whitening your teeth:

Whitening toothpaste. Whitening toothpaste is usually available in nearly any store that sells dental care products. All toothpaste has somewhat of a whitening effect because the abrasive nature of the toothpaste will chip away at plaque, tartar, and other staining elements. However, whitening toothpaste also contains a small amount of bleach that enhances the whitening effect. 

The advantage to using whitening toothpaste is that it's inexpensive compared to other methods. However, it's usually not as effective as other options. Over time, you may see some improvement, but you likely won't see the dramatic change in color that you might see with more intense solutions.

Whitening gel or strips. Like whitening toothpaste, teeth whitening gel or strips are also usually available over-the-counter in most grocery stores and pharmacies. Both are used regularly for a limited amount of time. The gel is applied with a small brush and the strips are worn are over the teeth. Because the bleach level is higher in gel and strips than in toothpaste, you may see results after only a few days.

Whitening gel and strips are both less expensive than in-office dental treatment, but usually more expensive than toothpaste. Also, while you may see results quickly, it's common for teeth to become stained again, so it's likely that you'll need to reapply the gel or strips eventually.

In-office bleaching. This is a procedure that is usually done in one or several sessions with a cosmetic dentist, like those at Dentistry For the Entire Family. The dentist will build a custom tray designed to fit over your teeth. He or she will then fill the tray with a compound that has a high level of a bleaching agent. Because of the high level of bleach in the compound, you should see nearly immediate results. The whitening will likely also last much longer than it would with toothpaste or with gels and strips. While an in-office solution may be more expensive than other methods, it could be worth it if you want quick and long-lasting results.

For more information, contact your cosmetic dentist. They can walk you through all of your whitening options. 

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23 July 2015