Modern dentistry has improved and changed a great amount in the last ten to twenty years, and this has led to new treatments being available to everyone, rather than just the few rich people who could afford it. People are visiting dentists for ‘cosmetic’ dental treatment in the same way that they would visit a cosmetic surgeon to have their body altered or enhanced.

With more and more celebrities having cosmetic dental treatments and exhibiting perfect teeth in magazines and on television, tooth whitening is one of the dental treatments that have soared in popularity for people young and old. Other treatments include implants, veneers, and alteration of the gum line. This article looks at the different types of teeth whitening systems and will help you assess which is best for you.

There are various teeth whitening systems available, and they range from the very expensive to the relatively cheap and accessible. All teeth whitening systems fall into two main categories - those that must be carried out by a professional such as a dentist, and those that can be done at home. Home treatments are often cheaper, but can be less effective and can even cause lasting damage if applied incorrectly.

The key to selecting which tooth whitening system is appropriate for you is to ask yourself the following questions:

Am I good at following written instructions?
What is my budget for this treatment?
Am I looking for immediate results or a course of treatment?
Am I comfortable visiting a dentist?
Do I have minor or extensive tooth staining?

Home tooth whitening systems are cheaper, but they normally use a peroxide bleach based formula and so the instructions that come with them must be followed to the letter. Otherwise, the results may not be what you expected, and the sensitivity of the teeth can be increased.

However, if you are confident about applying the treatment yourself and are prepared to finish the whole treatment without expecting instant results, home teeth whitening systems can be a cost effective way to achieve that celebrity look.

Salon or dentist based teeth whitening systems are more expensive, but can have longer lasting and more immediate effects. Dentists use similar peroxide based formulas to the home systems, but the effect is enhanced by the use of a laser. Laser whitening can make your teeth 5-6 shades lighter on the first visit by activating crystals inside a gel, but if you have extreme discoloration you may need to go back more than once.

The risks of laser teeth whitening are not great, with the most common side effect reported being increased sensitivity to hot and cold. Rubber dams are used to protect the gums when bleach based formulas are being used, and this ensures the gums are protected from the effects of the tooth whitening system.

Modern lifestyles can have a bad effect on our teeth, with drinks like coffee, tea and red wine causing staining and discoloration. Teeth whitening systems are a way to instantly reverse the effects of our lifestyle, but are no substitute for regular brushing and flossing.

Copyright © Jared Winston, 2005. All Rights Reserved.

Tooth whitening is becoming an increasingly popular home cosmetic procedure. Learn more about the various whitening systems, benefits and potential risks at Lustrous Teeth.com. http://www.lustrousteeth.com.

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Not long back, the concept of dental treatment was limited to removal of teeth and replacement with dentures. But with new advancement in the field of dental sciences, there’s hardly any need for removal of teeth if the problem gets diagnosed and cured at a proper time. Today, there are number of specializations in the field of dentistry, each dealing with a different aspect of the tooth problem.

There is prosthodontics dealing with replacement of teeth with beautiful crowns, bridges and dentures, orthodontics alignment of irregular teeth and jaws with invisible and visible braces, periodontics treatment of gum problems, specialized problems of children’s teeth et al. Besides all this, stress is being laid on cosmetic dentistry and smile designing which includes enhancement of facial aesthetics with new dental procedures such as bleaching and veneering of teeth.

Bleaching is a process that involves whitening of discolored or dark teeth by means of chemical agent. This procedure can be performed either in the dental clinic or even at home. In the clinic, the procedure involves application of a bleaching agent on the teeth and making appropriate sized impressions of the teeth of the individual patient then loading of trays with chemicals for their application on the teeth for one to two hours. Depending upon the degree of discoloration and cosmetic results desired by the patient, the procedure is repeated.

The other new advanced procedure involves application of a bleaching agent directly on the teeth by the dentist, without any use of trays and without repeated sittings. This procedure can be completed in just one or two sittings of 30-45 minutes.

Another technique is prescribed by dentists for use by patients at their homes. This involves making of individualized trays of a patient followed by loading of the trays with the chemical agents by patients as per their dentist instructions and then keeping them in the mouth usually for a period of six to eight hours. The total treatment time is usually 15-20 days. The advantages of in office bleaching technique are that it is totally under the dentists control, the soft tissues of patient are protected and it has the potential of bleaching teeth very rapidly and successfully.

The two most common side affect of bleaching is temporary sensitivity of teeth and irritated gums. Go on; get a set of bright, sparkling teeth.

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Teeth Whitening: The process wherein the color of the teeth is lightened is called as tooth whitening. There are various reasons for teeth getting discolored. The main causes are stains of tea, tobacco, coffee, antibiotics etc. These can be removed by tooth whitening. People who have sensitive teeth should not use teeth whitening. People with sensitive teeth would have more problems if they use teeth whitening solutions.

There are many tooth whitening treatments available, some of them are:

1) Bleaching kits: Tooth bleaching solution is applied to the mouth tray and it is inserted into the mouth. After an hour or two or as mentioned in the kit the tray is removed. Most of them work for an hour. The solution contains peroxide, which bleaches the enamel. The carbamide peroxide content in the solution is normally of ten, sixteen or twenty two percent. Some bleach is used twice a day for two weeks while others are used overnight for 1-2 weeks.

2) Laser tooth whitening: A solution is applied on the teeth. A wall made out of rubber is placed on the teeth and the laser is directed towards the teeth and the heat generated enters the teeth through the solution and the treatment takes an hour or so. After the treatment is completed you can see the changes.

3) Whitening Toothpastes: These toothpastes have special chemicals that remove the stains. The main advantage of the whitening toothpaste is it does not change the natural color of the teeth. Colgate Simply White Advanced Whitening Toothpaste is recommended.

4) Tooth whitening strips: These strips are placed on the teeth and are removed after 30 minutes. These are very effective and are recommended. They also contain peroxides.

If the above mentioned ways of treatment are done properly then there won’t be any problem. There is no long-term data on safety of these tooth-whitening treatments.

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