Sections

Syndicate

Bleaching and Whitening Teeth

| Print |

E-mail

Written by John Fraser

Saturday, 29 March 2008

by JohnFraser

Have you ever felt inadequate when faced with a multitude of perfect people appearing on television and print? Has advertising ever caused you to reassess your appearance? Did you known that most of these images have been digitally enhanced? Have the constant exposition of brilliant white smiles made you think about having teeth whitening treatment?

Just four simple questions but the answers will tell us a great deal about how we feel about ourselves and how we would like to appear to others. One of the most important factors effecting the way in which people perceive us is the appearance of our face. Nearly everyone would willingly admit that they would like some improvement to their face such as younger looking skin. However one of the most important and most highly visible features of the face is our teeth and having a radiant smile can make a world of difference hence the massive interest in teeth whitening products.

When we see the models in the glossy magazine, more often than not, they will have a gleaming smile with shiny white teeth. However, you will also notice that the whites of their eyes are often pure white and their skin is blemish free. However in reality they may have one or two spots and a rather dull set of teeth. The images you see have been digitally enhanced to make the image perfect but in processing the image the publisher is portraying a false image.

The most basic classification of teeth whitening treatment is home whitening and profession teeth whitening treatments but these methods can be used solitary or together. Below you will see some of the various techniques practiced today.

Bleaching is one of the most common ways in which teeth whitening can be carried out but there are actually a few different types of teeth whitening techniques involving the use of a bleaching agent. These types range from over-the-counter kits available in the shops to professional tooth bleaching. Home bleaching, laser bleaching and combined bleaching are some of the most popular ways to whiten teeth.

There are many over-the-counter (OTC) teeth whitening products and the best contain a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide which is a powerful bleaching agent which bleaches the teeth white. Contained in an OTC teeth whitening kit is usually a special mouth tray in which the bleaching agent can be poured. The trays, one for the top set of teeth and one for the bottom set, are placed into the mouth and left in situ for around half an hour.

Professional teeth whitening is carried out in the dental surgery by a suitably qualified cosmetic dentist. Obviously, under such conditions, far more powerful bleaching agents can be used. One of the most common types are those that are 'light activated' where a special light is used to enhance the whitening process.

When the two methods above are used together the home treatment is often carried out prior to the treatment in the surgery. Furthermore it is common for people to bleach their teeth, at regular intervals, at home following a pro treatment so that they can leave it longer between trips to the dental surgery. This approach is referred to as 'combined teeth whitening'.

A different approach is taken for the treatment called internal bleaching. As the name suggests it is the interior of the tooth that is whitened in this treatment so it is common to include one of the above treatment to bleach the exterior surface of the tooth. In this treatment a bleaching agent is injected into the tooth and allowed to work for a week before it is removed and the entry point permanently sealed.

About the Author:

If you want to discover more information visit Teeth Whitening Info 4U for dental care and teeth whitening info.