Home Teeth Whitening

Home teeth whitening has become a booming industry in the past few years. A bright white smile is an excellent way to make a good impression on friends, family, and colleagues, which means that everyone is searching for the best way to achieve white teeth. Teeth become dull and discolored through normal daily use. Some behaviors, like smoking or drinking coffee, can cause teeth to become darker and appear stained. If you would rather treat your stained teeth at home instead of visiting a dentist's office, you have many different options to choose from.

Tooth Whitening Products that Work

The most effective home teeth whitening methods are over-the-counter bleaching gels. These products are designed to coat the surface of your teeth quickly and evenly. The longer a gel is in contact with a tooth's enamel, the whiter the tooth will become. Most gels can eliminate common stains from food or smoking as well as the yellowing that occurs naturally with age. Gels are easy to use, but you will need to set aside some time for bleaching every day. The gel is applied to the teeth using a small tray that fits over your teeth and holds the gel in place.

Tooth Whitening Products that are Less Effective

Home teeth whitening products that are not quite as effective as gels include bleaching strips and whitening toothpastes. The bleaching strips work better than the toothpaste because they are based on the general idea of bleaching gel. Bleaching strips contain small amounts of bleaching gel on the side of the strip that is meant to be applied directly to the teeth.

They are convenient because they can be worn while sleeping or during times of the day when you aren't planning to eat or drink. Bleach strips take longer to produce results because they don't contain as much bleach as the gel methods, and they can't get into all of the tiny crevices of your teeth. Using whitening toothpaste as a home teeth whitening method is highly ineffective. The toothpaste is best for maintaining the brightness of your teeth after you use a different whitening method.

Dealing with Severe Tooth Stains

Some tooth stains can't be repaired through home teeth whitening. If your teeth have severe staining, your best option is to visit a cosmetic dentist for a treatment at the office. The dentist has access to stronger bleaching methods that can take care of more extreme problems.

Part 6 - Natural Ways to Whiten Your Teeth