Five Options For Teeth Whitening
Five Options For Teeth Whitening
There are a number of different options available to help restore colour to your teeth or to keep them white and free from stains. Some teeth whitening techniques are simple and easy to follow at home, whilst others might require a dentist or trained professional to administer them.
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Here are some of the most common options our patients try to keep their teeth white:
At Home Care
Depending on the underlying causes of discoloured teeth, and the level of intensity, it might be that all you need to do is ensure you maintain a good level of oral hygiene at home, including regular brushing, flossing, and the use of mouthwash.
This will help keep stains at bay, and remove plaque. To aid with removing stains, you could try specific whitening toothpaste or mouthwash, but remember that this won’t directly affect the colour of your teeth; it will only help remove any temporary stains.
Professional Cleaning
Sometimes the toughest plaque deposits need a bit of extra help to be removed, and a regular appointment with a dental hygienist can help to keep your teeth clean and maintain their whiteness.
Over the Counter Products
Whitening Strips can be an effective form of teeth whitening if you get decent, over the counter strips from well known providers. Remember that they’re one size fits all though, so they don’t give perfect results. They do take time to be effective and require repetitive applications.
Be wary about other home whitening kits, especially if they claim to contain a bleaching substance. They won’t be properly fitted to your teeth, and gel could leak out and irritate your gums. The gel might not be strong enough to have any effect, and they’re not always safe, especially if you buy them from a disreputable source.
Home Teeth Whitening
Home bleaching solutions are a great teeth whitening option, because they are provided by qualified dentists who will give you all the correct instructions and safety advice on using the products.
A mould of your teeth is made in order to produce a ‘tooth tray’ with the perfect fit over your teeth. Each day, you apply bleaching gel to your custom made tooth tray and place it over your teeth to give them an even coating. After a few weeks you’ll have considerably whiter teeth!
Laser Teeth Whitening
The most expensive, but also the quickest, option is laser teeth whitening. A bleaching gel is applied to the teeth with protective foam placed over the gums. The gel is then activated with an intense light (not actually a laser). This will bleach your teeth in less than hour, but it can be an expensive treatment.
If you want more advice on teeth whitening options, or need to check to see if there are any underlying problems for discoloured teeth, then do not hesitate to get in touch with us.