Teeth Whitening Products

So you’ve decided to whiten your teeth. Congratulations! You’ve just begun a process that will change your smile and the way you look for a long time. Now that you’re ready to start, what’s the next step? Now, you need to decide which whitening product is for you, so you head to your local drugstore. You expect this to be a simple process, but instead find yourself overwhelmed with the variety of teeth whitening products available for purchase, each claiming to be the best. Should you get a whitening mouthwash? How about whitening strips? Or maybe whitening toothpaste would be nice and simple. How do you pick?

Choosing the right teeth whitening product

First, it helps to understand how these products work. Teeth whitening products are divided into two categories based on how they whiten teeth: abrasive whiteners and bleaching whiteners.

Abrasive whiteners

These products whiten your teeth by including material in them that “sands” your teeth. The most common abrasive whitener is a teeth whitening toothpaste. The idea is that they will scrub off any discoloring particles more effectively than a non-abrasive, regular toothpaste would. The level of effectiveness for abrasive whiteners, however, is questionable. Most regular toothpastes have abrasive material in them, as well, as it helps clean teeth and promote good dental health.

Bleaching whiteners

Bleaching whiteners use a chemical to stain your teeth whiter. By far the most common chemical used is hydrogen peroxide. Since hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, one must be more careful when using products containing it. Bleaching whiteners are much more effective for whitening teeth than abrasive whiteners. However, because they contain powerful chemicals, it is advised that one should try a whitening toothpaste before using a bleaching whitener.

After you have decided which to go with, an abrasive whitener or a bleaching whitener, the next step is to decide what kind you will use. The decision for abrasive whiteners is simple: use a teeth whitening toothpaste. For bleaching whiteners, however, the decision is more complex. You need to choose between whitening trays, whitening strips, or whitening mouthwashes. Or, you could even go a step further than over the counter whiteners and get a laser teeth whitening treatment.

The decision is based on a variety of factors. When choosing between the over the counter teeth whitening products, the decision should be based on two factors: comfort and effectiveness. Read the information here on this website on each of the choices of teeth whitening techniques for deciding which of the over the counter bleaching whiteners is right for you. Also, be sure to read the section on laser teeth whitening, as it is another viable option.

Whitening teeth is something almost everyone considers at one point in his or her lifetime; with all the media attention on physical appearance, it’s difficult not to notice the color of your teeth when you smile in the mirror. The question is: Should you get your teeth whitened?

Whitening your teeth is not a simple process. It will require either many hours or many dollars, or it might require both. There are some health risks involved, so be sure you are willing and able to take those risks before you do so.

Whitening generally is done with over the counter products or by laser teeth whitening, which can be done at the dentist. Most of the products are made with a bleaching agent, which is applied to your teeth and left to sit for some time. This bleaching agent can cause gum irritation and tooth sensitivity.

Be sure you are willing to invest the time.

Over the counter teeth whitening products usually take about an hour a day for anywhere from 7 to 14 days to complete, and with most, you cannot do much else (no drinking anything, eating, etc.) for a time before, during, or after the treatment.

Do your teeth need to be whitened?

Whitening teeth is good when your teeth are seriously stained from things such as heavy, long term coffee drinking or splotchy leftover marks from braces, but there are quite a number of people who get a case of “white-orexia,” or, an obsession with getting their teeth whiter. Eventually, their teeth are so what that it looks strange and unnatural. If your teeth look normal/normal-white, then you don’t need your teeth whitened. It’s good to have whiter teeth, but remember that you can overdo it. Don’t.

Do you have sensitive gums or teeth?

If you do, you may find whitening uncomfortable or even unbearable. The sensitivity from whitening teeth usually only lasts around 24 to 48 hours, but some people can have permanent sensitivity. Although permanent sensitivity usually only occurs after very long periods of extremely intensive whitening (longer than a normal person who follows the directions on the products would experience), please note that it is always a possibility.
Some people have had good experiences with Sensodyne or other “made for sensitive teeth” toothpastes. If you have sensitive teeth and still want to try to use one of the teeth whitening products, then it is recommended you switch to a sensitive-teeth toothpaste shortly before you begin your whitening treatment and continue until shortly after it is completed.

In the end, the decision is really up to you. The best thing you can do, if you are considering using any of the teeth whitening products, is to educate yourself on the risks and benefits of each before using any. This website was made to aid in your decision making. Don’t whiten without reading the information here first.