Straight Talk About Tooth Bleaching
There are many systems for bleaching teeth. Here are a few facts to help put things into perspective: First of all, bleaching is big business and so there are lots of products and claims. Secondly, human teeth are not white. Humans, being part of the animal kingdom, have varying shades of yellow, brown and gray tint. The enamel is lighter and more translucent than the underlying dentin which is dark and bon-like. If enamel is thin the yellow dentist shows more. Sometimes a young person will have teeth on the very light side of the natural spectrum but most are not so lucky. Thirdly, every tooth accepts bleach differently. Some people have teeth that lighten fast and dramatically. Some teeth do not seem to improve much at all. Most are somewhere in the middle. When you see movie stars with extremely white teeth, many times these are porcelain veneers or crowns. Now, fourthly, the saddest part of this story is that bleaching is not permanent. Bleached teeth need touchups, or repeated treatment from time to time.
Now, the good news: Most teeth do look lighter and cleaner with bleaching and bleaching does not have to cost a fortune. Here is a rundown of the different methods of bleaching:
In-Office Bleaching: Bleaching may be done in the dental office using stronger concentrations of bleaching material than one would want to use on a long term basis at home. Your lips and gums will be protected from being burned by the bleach during the time the bleach is in contact with the teeth. This in-office procedure can give a little "head start," with the patient continuing with an at-home treatment, or it may be presented as a "quick and easy" one-time procedure.
In-office bleaching using a special light: The dentist may or may not use a light. While the light systems are widely promoted by the manufacturers and user dentists, these treatments are generally more expensive and there does not seem to be much, if any, evidence that they add to the effectiveness of the bleach. Dentists using the light will disagree, but independent studies have seen little to recommend adding a light.
Home-Bleaching Systems: These methods are designed to bleach at home. They are not inferior to the in-office treatments at all in my opinion. In fact you may prefer to have the option of reapplying the bleach now and then after the initial course of whitening is finished. An at-home bleaching system needs a way to keep the bleach on the teeth and there are several ways to do this. These methods include:
Tray systems in which a tray is filled with bleach and worn to bed or during the day: The effectiveness will depend on the fit of the tray (It should be closely adapted to the teeth) and the concentration of the bleach. The best tray fit will come from those made at the dentist from your own mold. Your dentist can also provide extra-strength bleach. Trays that resemble a mouth guard do not fit well enough to hold the bleach next to the teeth long enough.
Over-the-counter bleaches that are worn via thin bleach-coated strips: These strips, purchased at any drug store, work very well, are easy to use and are relatively inexpensive. Those found on store shelves work but a 14% Crest White strip Supreme (available at Amazon.com) is more powerful that the 8--10 % strips found in most stores.
Home Paint-on Bleaches: This method is hard for some people to use. But there is one I really like and use myself: It is Crest "Night Effects," This thick bleaching material dries on the teeth so it is able to stay in contact with them for a while. The trick here, is to dry your teeth (e.g., with a cotton swab) before painting the material on with one of the little brushes that is supplied. Otherwise the bleach will not stick to the tooth and the procedure will be messy and frustrating. Removal is best done by scraping the film from the tooth (with a tooth pick) and then brushing. If you don't like the fuss you will prefer the strips.
Some paint on night time gels are not good at all since they don't dry or solidify on the teeth. These look like little nail polish shaped bottles with a brush in the cap. There is nothing to keep them in contact with enamel and so saliva just dilutes and washes them away. I do not recommend or use these.
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Please remember that information on these site is not all-inclusive and it may or may not apply to your situation and you need to call your own dentist. A dentist needs to see the tooth, take and x-ray, etc. to diagnose and treat. I cannot respond to email inquiries or phone calls. Thanks for visiting!
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