Teeth Whitening Products – What You Should Know

When it comes to whitening your teeth, there are so many different teeth whitening products that you can choose from. No matter what your budget, there will always be at least one tooth whitening method that you can use. So just what types of teeth whitening products are available and how can you choose the right one for you?

The Different Teeth Whitening Products Available

There are so many different types of teeth whitening products available today. The three main ones available for use at home are:

• Home Bleaching Kits
• Toothpastes
• Whitening Strips

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Home Bleaching Products

Home kits can either be purchased through your dentist or over the counter at your local drugstore. The kits that you purchase from your dentist have trays that are professionally molded to your bite. They also have the strongest ingredients to help with tooth whitening. Kits that are purchased in a store work well on normally stained teeth, but don't work as well on severely stained teeth. Without following specific directions and because the bleaches aren't required to pass FDA standards, there is a small potential for damaging your teeth.

Teeth Whitening Toothpastes

Whitening toothpastes can be found in most stores and there are a wide variety of brands and combinations of extra ingredients to choose from. There is some question as to whether toothpaste can actually make a difference. It really depends upon the severity of the staining on your teeth. Many whitening toothpastes contain active ingredients that will minimize the build up of plaque which in turn will stop staining from occurring. They will also minimize the current staining on your tooth’s enamel. However, if you have more severe staining then whitening toothpaste will not be able to help you.

Whitening Strips

Whitening strips are applied only to the front teeth on the top and bottom, usually your front incisors and your canine teeth. You don't have to worry about measuring out the amount of bleaching agent because it is already in the strips. The main problem with strips are that they tend to slide around rather than staying put, especially when first applying the strips. And they coat the front of your teeth and don't surround the sides or between the teeth the way a gel will. Many people have good results with strips and others like them because they aren't as messy as using trays and gel.

Home Teeth Whitening Products versus Professional Treatments

Generally the most effective teeth whitening methods are carried out by your dentist. Laser whitening and bleaching are two of the best treatments available today. They are more expensive but they are your only option if you have serious staining problems.

Professional treatments are typically the better option if you can afford them. You know that you are getting professional results and it will be safer too. With home use products you cannot always guarantee how safe they are to use or how effective they will be.

However, if you do not have a lot of money then it would make sense to try out the various teeth whitening products available in your local store. Toothpastes, whitening strips, and the gel contained in home kits will not be as powerful or as effective as the bleaching gel used in professional treatments or laser whitening, but they could still make a noticeable difference to the color of your teeth.

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