Hydrogen Peroxide Teeth Whitening » Dental Insurance

Most Common Teeth Whitening Procedures

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:28:38 +0000

Teeth whitening is recommended for those who have had no treatments done like filling to their teeth. People with yellowish tint on their teeth will have a better result of teeth whitening. Toothpastes contain a mild abrasive that cleans the teeth, only on the surface level. But bleaching or professional whitening solutions have hydrogen peroxide that enables a deeper action in the teeth.

The factors that affect the color of the teeth are tobacco in any form, coffee, tea, wine, high pigmented foods, tartar and too much fluoride during the teeth formation phase. The external or visible marks can be removed through intensive cleaning solutions and more intrinsic ones can be whitened thorough bleaching treatment. Only a dentist can decide the appropriate type of treatment depending on the level and the type of stains and tooth specifications.

Generally, there are three methods available for teeth whitening namely whitening toothpaste, bleaching at home and over the counter strips.Whitening toothpaste: Teeth can get whiter with whitening toothpaste but at the dentist there can be 3 to 8 level difference from actual tooth color. Whitening gels are based on the peroxide element, which is applied using a small brush on the surface of the teeth. This system is advisable for bi-daily use over a 14-day period. The main appealing feature of this type of whitening products are their cheap price as compared to a professional care.Bleaching at home: This procedure requires the filling of mouth guard tray with a gel containing a bleaching agent of peroxide based solution. This tray must be worn around one hour everyday for around 4 weeks or more depending on the amount of stain to be removed.Strips: Strips have a light coating of peroxide gel on them and are almost invisible due to their thinness. Applying for 30 minutes twice a day for 14 days gives visible results.

At home whitening is the most common method where the dentist manufactures a tray filled with whitening gel and applies to the teeth for a couple of hours daily for 14 days. Whereas in office whitening which is a little costlier, the teeth are applied with gel only on the restricted area isolating the gums through a rubber shield. The bleaching agent is applied to the teeth and this session may last for half to one hour.

The risks associated with teeth whitening are a high sensitivity in the teeth or some kind of irritation of the gums or other tissues. Sensitivity is noticed at the beginning of the bleaching process whereas irritation of soft tissues, mainly, is due to the wrong fitting of trays rather than the bleaching agent itself. These drawbacks can be overcome by not using the tray for longer periods, discontinuously the whitening process for some days, using a high fluoride content to restore the mineral level of the teeth and using toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth.

Teeth whiteners are not regulated by FDA since they are not drugs.

Major Advantages of Laser Teeth Whitening Procedure

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:47:26 +0000

Laser teeth whitening is a technique used by most of the dentists to bleach or whiten the teeth. Healthy teeth play a greater part in keeping good health. Tooth whitening by laser is one of the most common methods adopted by many people since it is efficient, quick and painless. If a person wants to whiten the teeth for the first time and get quick results, laser teeth whitening is the best-suited method.

There are several factors that make the teeth yellow, age being the most common one. This, unfortunately, cannot be avoided but the teeth can be whitened regularly. Smoking and caffeine in coffee and tea are also some of the contributing factors.

Laser teeth whitening is done painlessly and briskly and once laser treatment is finished, the teeth are many folds whiter than before. In this process, a rubber cap is placed to protect the gums from the laser. Then the bleaching agent is applied as a layer. Now, the light of laser is applied on the teeth, which removes the stains and brightens the color of the teeth. This is a long process of many sittings for those who get ugly stains on the teeth with tobacco or cigarette smoking. This is a professional job to be done by a dentist alone and is very expensive.

Laser tooth whitening involves mainly two steps, one is teeth cleaning in which the dentist removes the plaque and germs present in the teeth that have a major effect in the whitening process. Next is the application of gel and laser treatment when the dentist applies the gel and positions the teeth for laser treatment. In fact, the laser enhances and makes the whole process faster so that it produces results in a matter of seconds. Sometimes the session may be needed to be repeated in extreme cases of tooth discoloration.

The advantage of laser tooth whitening is that generally one visit will suffice to get a bright smile and the disadvantage is that it is more expensive than any other method. . The price also varies with the condition of the teeth. If there are more stains and yellow color the cost may be more. Studies by manufacturers show that the laser teeth whitening are as safe and effective as a high-speed drill for removing dental decay and preparing a cavity for a filling. Laser teeth whitening uses a hydrogen peroxide based bleaching gel. It has 32% hydrogen peroxide concentration and a pH of 7. This active ingredient is responsible for tooth whitening by releasing enormous amount of oxygen to the enamel to make it lighter in color.

Some of the tips to maintain healthy teeth are to brush the teeth after every meal or at least the mouth should be rinsed with water. The teeth should be brushed and flossed in the morning and evening. Undergoing regular checkups can prevent cavity damage and gum disease.

Just brushing the teeth twice a day yields such a big benefit of giving a great look, a healthy body and a beautiful smile.

Eating Properly For Your Teeth

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:37:16 +0000

Preventing cavities is not just about good dental hygiene; it also is about what you eat and when you eat it. When you eat during meals the food does not stay on your teeth as long as when you eat in between meals. So if you have to have a sweet, it is better to have it with your meal than in between meals. Most people brush only after meals. Since it only takes about 20 minutes for plague to start forming on your teeth and to begin to damage enamel if you eat between meals and do not brush until after the next meal a lot of time will have passed from the time you eat your snack to the time you next brush your teeth.
All carbohydrates break down into simple sugars and the process starts in your mouth. Bacteria on your teeth that live in your mouth use the sugars from these foods to produce acids. It is these acids that can cause tooth decay. The longer the food remains on the teeth, the more acid is produced. Removing the food particles takes the simple sugars out of the acid equation. People who drink sweetened coffee or other sugary beverages throughout the day keep a steady supply of sugar on their teeth for the bacteria to cling to.
Certain foods help to increase the amount of saliva in your mouth and saliva helps to wash away bacteria. Some food like aged cheese helps to buffer the acid and this helps to prevent cavities if eaten at the end of a meal. Your mouth depends on good nutrition to stay healthy.
For overall good health for your body and your mouth it is important to follow the guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, which basically says:
Eat whole grains daily, such as brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat bread instead of refined grains, such as white bread and white rice.
Eat healthier vegetables, including dark green and orange vegetables.
Eat a variety of fruits.
Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, fruits and vegetables.
Choose fish, beans, nuts and seeds for some of your protein needs.
Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars.
Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.
Aim for a healthy weight and be physically active each day.
There is a new interactive guide that the USDA has devised to help people understand these guidelines that can be found at www.mypyramid.gov.
These guidelines when followed will keep your body healthy which in turn helps to keep your mouth healthy. It is important to remember these guidelines and to choose your food carefully. Watch out for eating between meals and if you do so, please remember to chew sugarless gum or to rinse your mouth with water to help remove some of the food particles and sugar. The connection between the food that you eat and the health of your teeth and gums is amazingly close. You need healthy teeth to enjoy food and you need healthy food choices to protect your teeth.

Different Types of Teeth Whitening Methods

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:09:28 +0000

Many people give much importance to their look and they take utmost care to maintain it. This includes dental care too. They want their teeth to look white and bright. Due to the natural process, the teeth will become faded and turn out to be very dull. Age also matters a lot in this case. So they go in for teeth whitening treatment and many of the dentists do this treatment.

There are many procedures followed for whitening the teeth, and some are painful. It is better to choose the treatment which can be done in home or in office. Before doing this, it is better to check with the dentist. Some dentists do prepare mouthpieces which suits according to the persons consumed. People can go in for pre fabricated mouthpieces which will fit for all.

Teeth whitening is the most common cosmetic service done by dentists and as many people opt for this treatment. In addition to this, over the counter tooth whitening products are available in the market. Each and every tooth is made on an inner dentin layer and it has a hard outer enamel layer, through which protection to the tooth takes place. When anything is consumed in the mouth like food, and coffee, and cigarette smoking another layer will form on the top of the enamel layer gradually. This enamel layer helps to form a pellicle film if anything starts to accumulate in the mouth. A dentist can very well clean this film by scraping and by chemical treatments. This can be done at home even by brushing the teeth with abrasive toothpaste or whitening toothpaste.

The stains in the teeth are because of the accumulation of the pellicle layer for many numbers of years as the foreign material gets into the enamel layer. Actually the deeper stains do not harm the teeth, but people do not find them attractive. So in this case teeth whiteners will help. The whiteners which are used to remove the staining compounds will be bleached by using chemicals.

Generally teeth whitening is controlled by using carbamide or hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide gels have the high intensity to speed up the bleaching through chemical reaction. Most of the dentists clean the teeth before whitening the teeth and they even fill cavities and make sure that the patient’s teeth gums are healthy before proceeding to the whitening treatment.

The studies even confirmed that whitening the teeth is safe and as well as effective. The gels like carbamide peroxide do not cause any damage to the tooth enamel. But if the concentration is higher in those gels then there are chances of enamel to become weak. But most of these gels contain fluoride which minimizes the side effect. So the dentists prescribe along with fluoride gels. In case of any tooth sensitivity or gum irritation then it is better to use the whitening solution less frequently like alternative days or reducing the time spent on whitening.

Teeth Whitening – Can Home Remedies Be The Answer?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:16:09 +0000

In fact, it’s possible that you might incur no real costs at all in whitening your teeth, because of the home remedies for teeth whitening readily available to you right now.
This way, the biggest challenge you are going to have to face is the rinsing out of the funny taste that you might have when you’ve finished.
It can be as simple as that, because teeth whitening is a small and simple procedure that can make a very big difference to you, in the right way.
Many people complain about less than stunning white teeth. For some, it m ight be the products that pass through their mouths. Key culprits here are cigarette smoke and/or drinks like tea and coffee especially when strong or in excess.
For others the fading and discoloration of teeth can be caused by over exposure to fluoride, aging, nerve damage and even some antibiotics (thankfully rarely used nowadays).
You may be one of those who’d like to brighten their smile, but do not wish to cough up the hundreds of dollars at the dentist’s office.
Of course, there are some teeth whitening treatments that can be bought at your local pharmacy or supermarket for far less that the professionals charge.
If the idea of using tricky chemicals on your teeth puts you off, there are alternatives. Many people just use home remedies for teeth whitening, often proving to be just what the doctor did not need to order and still giving useful results.
Some Ideas To Try At Home
Whilst some ideas might come out of a fairy story and be founded on urban myth and folklore, there are some real possibilities that you might care to try out. It’s important to say here that these will work with varying degrees of success with different people.
You would be wise to try anything with caution and test out small inconspicuous areas first, just to be on the safe side.
Remember, whatever you try is at your own risk, not ours – these are possibilities that have been tried down the ages and are not based on clear scientific fact, nor are there any guarantees!
1. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is probably the most common and popular natural lightening agent. It can be combined with lemon juice, baking soda, baking powder, or almost a dozen other ingredients.
Different home remedies for teeth whitening you might come across will call for different amounts of peroxide. And be careful to precisely check the strength of hydrogen peroxide is appropriate for this use. ‘Google’ it and see what you can find out.
2. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice by itself may not be the best home remedy for teeth whitening as the acidity can weaken teeth. In fact, you can taste the acidity so clearly that it will come as no surprise that it is acidic!
3. Strawberries
Oddly enough, strawberries fall into the same acidic category as lemon juice. They are both natural whiteners. How to use? Well, simply rub them directly on your teeth or mash into a paste and apply.
4. Wood Ash
Wood ash is known for being a natural bleaching additive, but too much usage can erode the enamel of your teeth gradually. Typically, even wood ash has a bitter taste,not dissimilar to lemon juice as well as the vinegars
5. Vinegar
Apple cider and white vinegar are also used in a few home remedy recipes for teeth whitening.
So, you see, there is a whole range of possibility just sitting around your place. Home remedies for teeth whitening are out there and are as cheap as it gets.
Just ensure that you please seek the right advice before you start experimenting, or you could end up wishing that you’d waited and spent a bit more to do it properly.