Most Effective Teeth Whitening Practices

Most Effective Teeth Whitening Practices For A Beautiful Smile And Healthy Mouth

There are dozens of products on the market today that offer a gleaming white smile. Many are sold over the counter, at drug stores, or online. With so many options available, it’s hard for consumers to know what’s going to work best, and what the risks may be. What are the most effective teeth whitening practices?

• Whitening Strips – By far, the most common DIY whitening product are strips, which you apply to your top and bottom teeth. Before you start any at-home tooth-whitening product, visit your dentist to check for any cavities or gum problems. Whitening strips contain low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, which acts as a bleaching agent, so they will whiten your teeth, but in very small steps; it may take numerous applications to achieve the level of whiteness you want. Strips may cause mild irritation of the gums if they’re not applied carefully.

• Whitening Gel – DIY whitening gel is also available at retail stores, online, or from your dentist. These systems use a tray – which may be a custom-fitted night guard, if you’re buying it from your dentist – filled with hydrogen peroxide gel that’s significantly stronger and more effective than the strips. The downside is that this stronger gel can also cause tooth sensitivity or, if not used correctly, it can temporarily inflame or damage the gums. If you’re planning to use whitening gel, start using a toothpaste formulate for sensitive teeth about a week before, and keep using it until you’re done with the whitening treatments. For most people, DIY gel whitening is a process of two to three weeks.

• Dentist Gel Treatments – Getting your teeth whitened at the dentist’s office is the fastest and safest way. They use a more highly concentrated gel, which requires application by a trained professional, so that the gums are not harmed in the process. This professional-grade gel can lighten tooth color significantly in a single treatment, which takes about an hour. Some patients will need a couple of treatments to achieve the final result they want. Your dentist will examine your teeth and mouth to determine whether you’re a good candidate for profession whitening, and will give you an idea of what results you can expect for your own teeth.

• Maintenance – Whitening toothpaste and mouthwash products don’t contain enough whitening agents to reverse yellowing, but they do an excellent job of keeping white teeth white. By removing stains as they happen, whitening toothpaste and mouthwash prevent stains from penetrating deeper into the tooth enamel, which require more aggressive whitening treatments to remove. Use a whitening toothpaste or mouthwash daily, and you’ll need whitening treatments less often, and enjoy a bright smile daily.

Fast, Effective Teeth Whitening

At Bauer Dentistry, we use the most effective teeth whitening practices to offer our patients safe and effective ways to get that perfect smile they’ve been wanting. Contact our office to schedule a consultation and we’ll explain what results you can expect from professional teeth whitening.

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