Most everyone understands that you’re initially judged by appearances, and to make a great first impression, you need to start with a dazzling smile. You may have been blessed with great teeth, straight and bright without the help of man-made products.
But the reality is, very few people can achieve that perfect smile without the help of a skilled dentist and top notch dental products. Orthodontics will make your teeth straight and whitening systems can transform those straight teeth into the best smile possible.
There are many kinds of teeth whitening systems, ranging from do-it-yourself at home remedies, to professional whitening systems that can be applied only in your dentist’s office. Which one you decide upon will vary by how healthy your teeth are and what you want to spend.
At the low end of the spectrum is whitening toothpaste that you can buy in any supermarket or department store. They contain mild abrasives that will remove surface stains as you brush. They won’t contain any bleaching products that would have helped lighten the color found deep in your teeth.
Whitening gels contain peroxide that is brushed directly onto your teeth over the course of several days. You can expect to see results within a week and those results should last for three to four months. Whitening strips are coated with gel and are applied twice a day for two weeks, producing similar results.
Whitening rinses are much like mouthwashes, but also contain peroxide which will produce whiter teeth when used over the course of several weeks.
Tray systems can either be purchased over the counter or through a dentist. A person puts the tray in their mouth to guard their gums and then adds a whitening agent. The tray is generally worn for up to four hours a day for several weeks until the appropriate level of whitening is achieved.
In-office whitening produces the quickest and most dramatic whitening results. The agent is applied directly to the teeth and then combined with either heat or a laser, producing results in a single visit. It is the costliest of all whitening methods but produces results more quickly than any other method.
Douglas Family Dentistryserves families in Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Glendale and surrounding Arizona communities.