How to Choose the Best Teeth Whitening Treatment

By Roger Bourdon

Not being able to smile in full confidence is a challenge that a majority of the population face each day. Many of us lead lifestyles that include certain habits which tend to stain the tooth surface. As we give great importance to the way we look, it’s natural for us to search for ways to improve our smiles making our teeth whiter. The only problem is, with so many whitening treatments being offered today, it can be rather difficult to choose which one is the best and would give us great value for our money.

True enough, there are a wide variety of tooth whitening treatments and products that are available today and they use different methods in removing the ugly stains and unappealing discoloration that cover the tooth. Choosing which one would best work for you will take a few easy steps.

The very first thing that you should do is to seek professional advice. This is very important as it will determine which teeth whitening treatment will be effective in your case. You should first have your teeth checked out and have a dentist determine what is causing the discoloration. A dentist will also determine the condition or health of your teeth and see if they are healthy enough to undergo the treatment. After getting the results, your dentist will then give you the different treatment options that are advisable for you.

Generally, these teeth whitening treatment options are divided into two categories, home whitening treatments and in-chair whitening treatments. The main differences between the two are the costs that are going to be involved for the treatment process, the time frame where results can be seen, and the overall result of the treatment. Home treatments are less costly than in-chair treatments but they take a longer time to produce the results that you want. Also, home whitening treatments do not guarantee the exact desired shades or even whiteness that professional treatments can guarantee.

Some of the more common home tooth whitening products and treatments available today include:

• Mouth Strips – These are flexible strips coated with whitening gel that are placed over the teeth surface and left in contact for a short period of time. They contour to the shape of the teeth but find it difficult to make contact with hard to reach place especially with crooked teeth.

• Whitening Toothpaste – Specially formulated toothpaste that has high concentrations of bleaching agents and abrasives. This is commonly included as an aftercare product to prolong the results of the whitening treatment and promote oral care. Other aftercare tooth whitening products include whitening mouthwash and whitening floss.

• Bleaching Gels and Compounds- Perhaps the most effective home treatment for whitening teeth, this product comes with a tray where the bleach is poured and then fitted over the teeth to ensure maximum contact. Many dentists offer professional take home kits for this type or treatment along with a custom fitted tray to ensure that the bleaching agent covers the entire teeth surface and doesn’t leak out and affect the gums.

• Brush-on Whiteners – More of a quick fix than a treatment, brush-on whiteners merely cover up the stains and don’t really remove them. They provide instant whitened teeth but the results don’t last.

Professional in-chair whitening treatments on the other hand commonly involve state of the art technology applied by well-trained specialists. Using the same concept of applying whitening bleach, in-office treatments commonly requires a single session to produce whiter teeth. They may be a bit costlier, but they offer guaranteed exact results that last much longer.

Your next step then is to weigh the pros and cons of the two teeth whitening options based on your personal situation and see which one is more applicable for you. Are you willing to invest in guaranteed in-office professional whitening treatment? Would you be satisfied being unsure of the results from home whitening kits which may not provide what you had in mind? Do you prefer long lasting results? Do you want instant whitened teeth in just over an hour?

If you want to have brighter and whiter teeth over your lunch break, many of the Westfield Shopping centres offer in-chair procedures using the latest technology in teeth whitening. Taking just one hour, you can leave your office and get back after your break with a more confident and whiter smile. If you go for treatment in a shopping center, you have easy accessibility to pain free teeth whitening treatments that insure guaranteed results, and all you need to do is to walk in to learn more.

Smile Science leaders in tooth whitening have treatment centers in many major UK cities. They also supply a range of DIY teeth whitening kits to countries all round the world. Smile Science, Westgate House Business Centre, Westgate Road, Ealing, W5 1YY, 020 8758 7900 http://www.smile-science.co.uk