Teeth Whitening 360

Common Questions About Teeth Whitening Gels

Teeth whitening gels used in teeth whitening procedures are divided into two main types: professional bleaching and do it yourself kits available over the counter. Professional or chair-side bleaching is done by using a strong bleaching agent, either alone or with a laser light. The gel is a peroxide-based gel that is applied onto teeth that is activated with a laser light. Some tooth whitening gels are self-activating while others are activated by laser light that takes about an hour and half to whiten teeth.

A major advantage of having tooth whitening done at the dentist is that the dentist will clean and polish your teeth before applying the teeth whitening gel thereby maximising the results of whitened teeth.

There are a variety of tooth whitening gels used but some are more widely publicised than others and so have gained a wider reputation and brand awareness among consumers. These include Britesmile Chair Side Teeth Whitening System and Zoom Professional Teeth Whitening System. Other lesser known but not necessarily less effective teeth whitening gels include Opalescence Extra Boost, Rembrandt Sapphire System, LumaArch and Lasersmile.

Home Teeth Whitening Gel

Costing much less than professional tooth whitening at the dentist, over the counter tooth whitening gels have a strong market despite being a somewhat tedious process that does not give results that match professional tooth whitening.

Home tooth whitening come in various formats. A mouth or dental tray is usually used to hold the tooth whitening gel that must be fitted over teeth either overnight or for a certain length of time. Since each product has their own degree of bleaching strength, the amount of time the tooth whitening gel is to be left on depends on each product’s recommendation.

For a more comfortable fit, custom trays can be ordered by sending a mould of your teeth to a dental lab that makes dental trays. With the “boil n bite” thermoform dental trays, you can mould the trays by placing them into hot water and mould the trays against your teeth by biting into them.

Video clip showing how to apply teeth whitening gel onto dental tray

Teeth Whitening Gel Strips

There are teeth whitening gels that do not use trays but instead use strips and pens such as Crest Tooth Whitening Strips, Colgate Simply White and Britesmile whitening pen. However tooth whitening strips may be difficult to keep in place as they tend to slip out of place once they become too wet and the tooth whitening gel is washed away.

Are Teeth Whitening Gels Safe?

According to studies, there are no changes or damage done to tooth surface that has been treated with 10% concentration bleaching solution - that’s the quantity commonly used in tooth whitening. Teeth may feel a little sensitive to hot or cold fluid or air but this is considered a normal side effect that disappears after 24-48 hours. Desensitizing gel is also available to be applied after tooth whitening as well as over the counter desensitizing toothpaste such as Sensodyne.

How Effective Are Teeth Whitening Gels

Do not expect miracles when whitening teeth using teeth whitening gel. It all depends on the original condition of your teeth. Some people see dramatic results in a few days while others take a few months. If your teeth are more yellow than gray, you have a better chance of getting whiter teeth than someone whose teeth color is more gray than yellow. Gray enamel is much harder to bleach and can take months to see results.

How Long Can Teeth Whitening Results Last

With proper maintenance, tooth whitening effects can last anywhere from 6 months up to a year. If you go for maintenance touching up every 4 months, you can extend the teeth whitening results.

Which Teeth Whitening Gel Is Best

There is no objective scientific research done for the many brands and types of tooth whitening gel on the market. Each product has their own tooth whitening formula but as a guide, the higher the percentage of bleaching agent, the stronger the bleach and the less time is required to leave the tooth whitening gel on. However there is no conclusive evidence that a stronger bleaching agent is more effective in whitening teeth. Some people feel that stronger teeth whitening gels cause increased teeth sensitivity.

The Difference Between Carbamide Peroxide And Hydrogen Peroxide Teeth Whitening Gels

Teeth whitening gels use two main types of bleaching agents. Opalescence and Nite White use carbamide peroxide, while Day White, Zoom and Nite White Turbo use hydrogen peroxide.

Comparatively, a 7.5% hydrogen peroxide is equivalent to a 16% carbamide peroxide while a 9.5% hydrogen peroxide is equivalent to a 26% carbamide peroxide. Carbamide peroxide actually breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. So the real difference is the time taken for carbamide peroxide to break down into hydrogen peroxide which translates into longer wearing time.

Teeth Whitening Gel Cannot Whiten Teeth Evenly

The areas near the gums tend to be less white than the flat biting areas of the teeth. This is because the enamel around the gum is thinner and shows through the colour of the teeth. This is more noticeable if you have gray teeth and the demarcation between white and gray teeth is quite distinct. If your teeth has uneven areas of calcification, your teeth can also appear uneven with white spots and look blotchy. If this happens, you can wait for the blotchy areas to fade before continuing with tooth whitening to get a more even appearance.

How Long To Continue Using Teeth Whitening Gel

Once you feel you are satisfied with the level of whiteness of your teeth, you can discontinue the tooth whitening treatment. In most cases, the whiteness will reach a point where it does not get any whiter in about 2 weeks where it will fade a little before stabilizing. Generally, you should stop after about 2 weeks of using the teeth whitening gel.