Teeth whitening is the process of bleaching your teeth in order to make them whiter. Most likely you’ve noticed the various ads for teeth whitening products bombarding us everywhere. “If your teeth are whiter, you look better” is the message that these advertisements send. Teeth whitening is a big business - close to 2 billion dollars this year alone and will only get bigger as the time goes by.
It seems as though good looks and a great smile is becoming ever more expected and important in our society. Celebrities are spending thousands of dollars to create the perfect smile using cosmetic dentistry procedures. But it's now moving on to mainstream America for the need and to have a whiter and bright smile. It's much more accessible to find teeth whitening products over the counter at your general store whether it is whitening toothpaste, teeth whitening gels or teeth whitening strips. But before we get into that, what is teeth whitening?
Most people's teeth are not a dazzling white color which is the desired color now a days. A natural tooth has a slight yellow hint to it. But lots of people's teeth become stained through some of their drinking, eating, and smoking habits. People who drink lots of soda, coffee, and smoke generally have stained teeth causing a yellowish and brownish discoloration. The teeth become stained and the stains can be removed with teeth whitening products.I for one wouldn’t bleach a single tooth in my mouth, even though most people would consider my teeth to be closer to yellow than white. Of course teeth whitening is a personal preference and it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it. Having said that, let’s look at the various methods to make teeth whiter - in-office teeth whitening, laser teeth whitening, at home whitening, teeth whitening strips, teeth whitening gel, etc.; the most popular teeth whitening products on the market, and how safe is teeth whitening. This tooth whitening guide will also help answer questions like “Does teeth bleaching need to be supervised by a dentist, or can you do it yourself?”, “Is it expensive to whiten your teeth?”, “Does teeth whitening always work?”, “What causes yellow teeth?”, “How to prevent yellow teeth?” and "When not to bleach your teeth".
Be careful as you seek the best method of whitening your teeth. There are many at home remedies - using strawberries to remove stains, and eating vegetables like carrots and broccoli. Using sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) mixed with water to brush your teeth removes stains. Rinsing and brushing with lemon juice can help as well but all of these methods can potentially be hazardous to the mouth and body if overdone. Lemon juice can cause decay of the enamel on your teeth which is the key component of the tooth which prevent cavities from occurring. Peroxide can be dangerous if too much is consumed as well. Be careful if you try the "home remedy" style of teeth whitening.
There are also plenty of over the counter methods of teeth whitening. Many types of toothpaste contain sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) which is said to help with whitening your teeth along with other whitening ingredients. Many people don't seem as satisfied when it comes to the whitening toothpastes so they move onto to a little pricier whitening gel or strips. These can be purchased and usually take 1-2 weeks to see any results but most people find their teeth move a shade or two whiter. This method can be repeated a couple of times to produce the desired results but is a little more expensive than the toothpastes. Teeth whitening ampoules are one of the newer and more convenient options for a bright smile. They are convenient and easy to carry, which makes them a very popular tooth whitening alternative.If you want guaranteed results then I would recommend consulting your dentist. Dentists usually have the top of the line teeth whitening methods using lasers, UV lights, and other products. It may be a little more expensive to whiten your teeth at the dentist but it takes less time and you get quicker results. If your desire is straighter AND whiter teeth then talk to your dentist about veneers which can fix both problems, however it is definitely a much more costly solution.
So if you're wondering what is teeth whitening, it is simply removing the stains on your teeth to create that brilliant smile that you so desire. There are simple cheap methods you can try to whiten your teeth or other methods that will guarantee a brighter and whiter smile.
In addition to over-the-counter whitening products and the dental office alternative, there are several methods that allow you to whiten your teeth naturally, which are inexpensive and promote good oral health. To learn more, read the Natural Teeth Whitening article.
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