It’s undeniable that most of us want whiter teeth for that brighter smile. A mouthful of yellowed teeth can be rather off-putting to some people, and shows up badly in pictures. These days, more and more people are paying for tooth whitening solutions to achieve those pearly whites. So what are the sizzling hot methods available to those desiring a mouthful of snow-white teeth?
Natural Methods
Crush strawberries, and apply the pulp, which contains malic acid to the teeth for five minutes. This has a gentle whitening effect on teeth and can help to rectify light staining. Apples also contain malic acid, and can be used the same way. Some people swear by brushing their teeth with a paste of baking soda, which acts as a gentle abrasive to whiten teeth. Baking soda is also often used in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide for stronger whitening effects. Note that these methods should not be used too frequently as they can damage the teeth over prolonged periods of usage since they can be rather strong in concentration.
Commercial At-Home Whitening Products
Whitening toothpaste containing hydrogen peroxide is extremely common and is a popular alternative to in-office dental bleaching services, which can be quite costly for some of us out there. Other forms of over the counter tooth-whitening products include chewing gum and mouth rinses, among others. These products can be divided into high-concentration and low-concentration whitening products. High concentration products only need to be applied for 10 to 20 minutes each time, and may require a few applications for good results to show. Low-concentration products claim to make teeth whiter through continued usage, though the effectiveness of these products varies from person to person.
Veneers
Porcelain veneers are a very effective method of giving the teeth a whiter appearance. Unlike the other whitening methods listed here, veneers do not actually involve whitening the teeth themselves which, in my opinion, is a better route to take. Porcelain veneers are bonded to the teeth with a strong adhesive, which helps to disguise the appearance of yellowed or damaged teeth. Compared to bleaching or other tooth whitening methods, veneers are thereby significantly more expensive. However, veneers are semi-permanent and can last up to 15 years. If we compare this to tooth bleaching, which may not even last an entire year, it makes getting veneers a rather worthwhile venture due to the longer time frame that it can serve you.
Bleaching
This procedure is usually done in a dentist’s office. Carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide gel with a higher concentration than that in DIY kits is applied to the teeth and left on your teeth to start the effect of whitening your teeth. Light-accelerated bleaching makes use of light energy to hasten the process of bleaching. What happens is that light energy agitates the particles in either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide, thereby speeding up the entire whitening process. A typical light-accelerated bleaching takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete, which means that this can be done in a single appointment.
Internal Bleaching
This method is mostly done on teeth which have had periodontic treatment done in the past. Procedures such as root canals and pulpectomies can result in teeth becoming discolored due to blood leaking, hence it may sometimes be necessary for the discolored tooth to be bleached in this way for cosmetic reasons. This is usually done by drilling a hole in the tooth, and applying a peroxide solution which is then allowed to leak into the dentine to do its job.
All in all, it is advised that you consider your personal needs as well as your budget to determine the best suited route to take as you search for those pearly whites.
[box_light]This article is contributed by Helen Hunter. She works for a leading dentist in Naples Florida. She is a happy-go-lucky person who believes in living one day at a time. She likes cooking and blogging in her spare time. She mostly writes health, beauty and food related articles.[/box_light]
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