What You Should Know About A Dental Whitening System
There is little doubt that a professional dental whitening system is very expensive. Some of the procedures cost more than $1000 and may require more than one visit. Most people, unless their teeth are very stained, elect to use a home tooth bleaching system, such as Crest White Strips or other home kits that lighten the color of the teeth. If you are curious as to how the kits work, then today is your lucky day. Keep reading and you will get a clearer perspective on having a brighter smile and you may even save yourself a visit to a cosmetic dentist.
Once upon a time, the dental whitening system worked through the use of a plastic tray and bleaching gel. The contraption was molded to each individual’s mouth and the tray, after filling it with the special whitening gel, was left in overnight. Unfortunately, the gel lost its effectiveness after a few hours and there was also irritation to the gums and throat from the substance being in the mouth for such a prolonged period of time.
Items such as Crest White Strips have eliminated the need for the bulky whitening trays and bleach that stayed on overnight. These whitening strips are applied to the teeth and then left on for fifteen to thirty minutes twice a day. Some of the new lines are applied only at night. The reason is that most people, after brushing their teeth at night, do not eat or drink anything until they wake in the morning, therefore leaving the whitening gel on the tooth surface longer.
Teeth whitening kits also are produced in generic versions such as Equate found in Wal-Mart. Truth be told, they are just as effective as their brand name counterparts. If you are unsure if the kit is of the same quality as Crest, then take a look at the ingredients list. Chances are the active ingredients are the same for both brands and you may actually save a few dollars.
A home dental whitening system is a great product provided you do not have any problems with your teeth and gums. If you are allergic to certain types of bleaching gels, then the kit could put you at serious health risk. If you have open spots on tooth surfaces from tooth decay, then the whitening gel could make the condition worse and cause pain. Before beginning any teeth whitening system, you may want to consult with your dentist. He or she can make a recommendation that best suits your particular oral needs.
The Opalescence Whitening Range
Millions of people are choosing to give a boost to one of their prized assets, their smile. It is one of the first things that is noticed about you and is vital to that first impression. Teeth whitening not only allows you to smile with confidence, the right products can actually improve the health of your teeth.
Ultradent Products Inc provides Opalescence tooth whitening systems, a range of professional products to suit every need. Your dentist can supply the customized system. This involves taking an impression of your teeth in order to produce a tray that is a perfect, comfortable fit for you. This is filled with the Opalescence gel which causes oxygen to enter the enamel and bleach areas of discolouration on the tooth, without changing its structure.
There is also an over the counter alternative. For ease of use, the comfortable whitening trays come preloaded with the gel. These are worn on the teeth for one hour a day. The Opalescence provides some of the highest concentrations of active ingredients available in a home use product. This can produce rapid results for you.
There is also the Xtra Boost system which is applied by your dentist. This powerful system does not require any kind of light activation and you can leave your dentists office with a noticeably whiter smile. Some people have achieved similarly fast results using the home systems, but repeated applications may be necessary.
These products work but are they safe to use? Many years of clinical trials have proven this to be the case, with millions of people benefitting from brighter smiles and suffering no side effects. In fact, improvements in the health of teeth have been noted. Studies have shown improvements in the health and hardness of enamel and a reduction in the number of cavities.
Do these effects last? Unless you change your lifestyle in terms of diet, smoking etc, your teeth will be subject to the same pressures that caused the discolouration in the first place. However, there is a range of aftercare products available including whitening toothpaste and a tooth brush to help with difficult to reach places and maintain gum health.
http://www.opalescence.com provides full details of the product range and the clinical trials that have been carried out. If you need a safe and effective method of teeth whitening, it is definitely worth a look.