Teeth Whitening: What Are At Home Procedures and Products?

If you are looking to improve your image, if you are dieting and exercising ... you may also have found yourself interested in a better, more attractive smile.

The aging process and the food we eat can end up causing out teeth to become stained and discolored. If you want to do something about this process, but if you also want to avoid all of the expenses involved with cosmetic dentistry, you might want to consider teeth whitening products that can be used at home.

Teeth Whitening Products -- Big Business in the 21st Century

Vanity is big business. Therefore, it is no surprise that teeth whitening is also big business and with today’s society wanting everything faster and easier, at home teeth whitening products are flying off the shelves. With all the products and various claims that they make, it is difficult to make sense of each one’s claim of effectiveness. From teeth whitening toothpastes to over-the-counter products that promise to remove stains and give people a whiter, brighter smile. Prices of these whiteners range anywhere from about $10 to $50. This is a substantially less expensive alternative to the hundreds of dollars that dentists charge for in-office whitening procedures. However, the strength of these products is less than in office treatments so they may require the purchase of several kits in order to achieve the desired effect. This can run into hundreds of dollars in the long run.

Product Composition

These products all contain peroxide, over-the-counter products contain less than those used in dental offices. The amount of peroxide, though, is not as important as the implements used to deliver the product to the surface of the teeth. This may be trays, tape or film. It is important that the whitening agent be held against the teeth so that it can do its job and the implement that does this the best will achieve the best results. The winner of this category seems to be the custom-made dental tray that the user fills with a peroxide based gel. These soft, thin plastic trays fit against the teeth, delivering the whitening agent to the whole tooth. Custom trays, made to specifically fit the user’s mouth, are available, but are more expensive.

Popular Brands

Although we do mention some popular brands of at home teeth whitening products, nothing in this article should be construed to be a specific recommendation of any one of these products. Rather, this article merely is intended to provide you with a useful starting point in your own search for an effective, at home tooth whitening regimen.

Crest Whitestrips offers a strip of tape that is coated with the peroxide. It sticks to the teeth and whitens in a rather short time. Other products include paint on gel such as Colgate-Palmolive’s Simply White. Oral B has a whitening pen. All of these products contain the same ingredients, just different delivery systems. It is up to the user to decide which is best for them.