Whitening Techniques
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Whitening Toothpaste
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Whitening toothpaste is an inexpensive method to remove surface stains from your teeth. Whitening toothpaste contain mild abrasives like baking soda to gently polish your teeth. Hydrogen peroxide is a common active ingredient used to oxidize stains from your teeth. Brushing with a whitening toothpaste twice daily whitens teeth in two to four weeks. Colgate, Crest, and Rembrant offer whitening toothpastes that are available over-the-counter at grocery and drug stores for use at home. A seal of approval from the American Dental Association indicates that your toothpaste is safe and effective at removing surface stains from teeth.
In-Office Bleaching
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Getting your teeth whitened in the dentist's office is costly, but you will see dramatic results. Bleaching at your dentist's office may require a few visits that will take 30 minutes to an hour. The dentist will protect your gums with a rubber shield or a protective gel. The concentration of peroxide used for in-office procedures is higher than in the products sold over-the-counter. A peroxide-based bleaching agent is applied directly to your teeth for the allotted time to whiten. Lasers can enhance the effect of the bleaching agent.
Whitening Strips
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Whitening strips are purchased over-the-counter and used at home. They are thin strips that are coated with a bleaching agent that is typically peroxide-based. The strips are applied two times a day for two weeks. The results will last up to four months. The concentration of peroxide in whitening strips is much lower than the peroxide-based agents used by a dentist. Whitening strips are less expensive than in-office whitening treatments and produce less dramatic results.
Tray Bleaching
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Tray-based whitening systems are purchased over-the-counter or from your dentist's office. This technique consists of filling a tray, similar to a mouth guard, with a bleaching agent. Carbamide peroxide is the active ingredient commonly used in the bleaching agent. You will place the tray on your upper and lower teeth and wear it for a period of time based on the instructions. Typically, you will wear the trays four hours a day or overnight for up to four weeks or longer. The trays do not shift your teeth but only whiten them for a brighter smile.
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