Teeth Whitening Tooth Whitening it

Teeth Whitening

Tooth Whitening

It is near impossible to go through a day without being exposed to an advertisement, whether in print, or on television, radio, or Internet, for either an over-the-counter product or in-office procedure that promises to whiten teeth into dazzling smiles. Teeth become discolored over time from sources such as coffee, tobacco, colas, antibiotics, excessive fluoride, tooth and nerve disease, aging and heredity (Nuss Pp). Although there are advantages and disadvantages to both processes, home-whitening kits seem to be better than professional dental procedures.

Home tooth bleaching systems began to gain popularity following a 1989 study published in Quintessence International by Harald O. Heymann of the University of North Carolina Dental School, and since then tooth bleaching has been the subject of much research by the American Dental Association (Nuss Pp).

The most common tooth whitening materials used by dentists today contain 10% carbarnide peroxide, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and releases a highly reactive form of oxygen, and these oxygenating agents then penetrate the tooth enamel and lightens the tooth shade (Nuss Pp).

This substance is used in bleaching trays made in the dental office from impressions and diagnostic models of the teeth, and requiring patients to wear them at two-three hour intervals or overnight (Nuss Pp). Laser treatment is also a popular dental procedure that uses water or air to cool the tooth and clean the surface (Laser Pp).

Dr. Steven Roth, a cosmetic dentist in Manhattan, says that in-office procedures, whether a bleaching solution or laser, is expensive, and thus recommends that his patients consider at-home bleaching as a viable alternative to laser teeth whitening, although the at-home methods may take longer to see results (Howe Pp).

According to Martin Giniger, a dental professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, there is a growing array of whitening products has arrived on store shelves, costing between $15 and $30 each, compared to professional treatment from a dentist at a cost of $300 or more (Uhlman Pp). Giniger says that peroxide gels are safe when used as directed any that problems arise usually involve gum irritation or tooth sensitivity (Uhlman Pp).