Whitening Your Teeth

With the availability of over-the-counter teeth-whitening products, more and more people are taking measures to make their smiles brighter. A variety of different types of products are available in your local drug store, all designed to help whiten your teeth: toothpastes, mouth rinses, whitening gels and strips. Toothpastes and mouth rinses generally take longer to work, but the OTC whitening strips and gels can be effective if you use them repeatedly over a long period of time.

Professional Teeth Whitening Options

If your teeth are seriously stained, or if you want to see results in a hurry, talk to your dentist about the following professional whitening options:

• The first is a strong hydrogen peroxide solution combined with custom trays that you can use yourself at home. You’ll need to visit your dentist to have forms of your teeth made, which are then sent to a dental lab where your custom trays are created. After that, you’ll be asked to return to your dentist’s office to pick up the trays and the bleaching solution. Once you’re back home, you can use the whitening solution and trays yourself – anywhere from a few hours at a time to overnight – until you achieve the level of whitening you’re looking for.

• The second type of professional whitening treatment that your dentist can offer involves a whitening solution used in combination with heat, a laser or a special light. This is typically the most expensive option, but also produces the fastest, most obvious results.

There are two things to remember when it comes to whitening your teeth:

• Only your natural teeth can be whitened, so crowns and other dental work won’t be affected.

• Whitening is considered to be cosmetic dentistry, so most insurance companies won’t cover the cost.

Source: WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/teeth-whitening