You may be doing everything right, including brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist on a regular basis. Yet, sometimes food, environmental factors, and the passage of time can still take a toll on the brightness of your smile.
Now, from quick 5-minute over-the-counter fixes– to long-term professional, dentist-supervised solutions– there’s more options than ever to consider. If you’re thinking about whitening your teeth, here’s more about some of the choices:
Whitening Toothpastes
All toothpastes can help remove surface stains. But some whitening toothpastes include polishing or chemical agents for additional stain removal. Whitening toothpastes can lighten the tooth’s color by about one shade.
Over-the-Counter Whitening Strips or Gels
Whitening strips are thin, and almost invisible. The strips are coated with a peroxide-based whitening gel, and applied for 30 minutes, twice daily, for 14 days. Results can be seen in a few days and sustained for about four months. Whitening gels are clear, peroxide-based, and typically applied with a small brush directly to your teeth. Initial results are seen in a few days and sustained for about four months.
Tooth Whitening Rinses
This is among the newer products available, and like most mouthwashes, a whitening rinse will freshen breath, reduce dental plaque and gum disease. You simply swish it around in your mouth twice a day for 60 seconds before brushing. It may not be as effective due to the shorter contact time, and can take 12 weeks to see results.
Tray-based Tooth Whiteners
A tray-based tooth whitening system can be purchased over-the-counter or from a dentist. It involves filling a tray, similar to a mouthguard, with a gel whitening solution containing a peroxide-bleaching agent. It’s worn from a couple of hours a day, to every night for up to four weeks, depending on the level of whitening wanted as your result.
In-Office Tooth Whitening
The in-office bleaching method provides a quick way to whiten teeth. The whitening product is applied directly to your teeth, and can be used in combination with heat, a special light, or a laser. Results may be seen in just one, 30-to-60-minute treatment, but several appointments are usually needed. This is also the most expensive approach for whitening your teeth.