It is estimated that Americans pay about $600 million a year for tooth whitening.  It is true that your dentist can whiten your teeth but it will cost you about $500-$1000.  If you are looking to get that white smile but don't want to pay the high dentist's office prices, you may want to consider an off the shelf tooth whitening system. 

Off the shelf tooth whitening kits can start for as little as $15.  Of course different whitening systems will take longer to see results.  Likewise tooth whitening results will fade depending on whether or not you have a heavy cigarette, coffee, or red wine habit.

Most whitening agents will used either hydrogen or carbamide peroxide bleach as their active ingredient.  The potency of these bleaches are far less than what your dentist can use, that is why they are more affordable.  At home tooth whitening kits are designed to work on yellowish teeth as opposed to gray teeth (grey teeth are typically the result of something other than external staining). 

5 main warnings for choosing an off the shelf tooth whitening system:

1.    Tooth whitening agents are not going to make your teeth any whiter than they were when you cut your first tooth. 
2.    Tooth whiteners will whiten only natural teeth, not caps, crowns, veneers, fillings or dentures.
3.    Tooth whitening results are not permanent.  The process will need to be repeated about every 6 months
4.    Brush on and strip whitening applicators can leave splotches and miss the nooks and crannies in your teeth.  For most uniform whitening use an application where the whitening agent is put in a tray that forms around your teeth.
5.    Ask your dentist's advice before choosing an at home tooth whitening kit.  He may be able to suggest a type and brand that would work best for your specific whitening concerns.

Minimize your risk
    Do not use a tooth whitening system if you have gum irritation, a deep cavity or a toothache.  Using the whitening agent on these sensitive areas will result in a great deal of pain.
    Be sure to read and follow the instructions for use shown on the product label. Current clinical studies show that home tooth whitening products are not harmful when used as directed.
    Do not use a tooth whitening product for more than 14 days without consulting a dental professional.
    If you experience tooth sensitivity while using a whitening system, try the following:
1.    Cut your use of the whitening system to half of the recommended time (i.e. wear the whitener for 30 minutes instead of 60 minutes).
2.    Discontinue use of the whitener for two or three days, then resume use.
3.    Stop using the whitener and consult a dentist.
    If you've had dental problems, infections or recent work on your teeth, or if you already suffer from tooth sensitivity, you are at a greater risk to have sensitivity and other tooth whitening complications.  If this is your situation, talk to your dental professional before using a tooth whitener.
    If you are pregnant, have mouth or gum disease or have teeth stained by medication, you should not use tooth whiteners.
    In the event of an adverse reaction, stop using the product!!!
    Sometimes it is appropriate to seek medical attention for your adverse reaction.
    Keep the product you were using when you had the adverse reaction.  It is helpful to the medical professional who will be helping you.

Everyone knows that one of the first things that people notice about you is your teeth.  They are seen when you talk, sing, smile, and sometimes even when you sleep (if you're one of those that leaves their mouth open when you sleep).  Everyone wants to have nice looking teeth.  And having white, crisp and clean looking teeth is especially desirable.  Maybe you've tried one of those home whitening systems that are available at most grocery stores or supermarkets.  They usually work fairly well, but there are some advantages of dentist teeth whitening systems.  This article aims to tell you exactly what those advantages are.

There are many options for teeth whitening, including bleach trays, white strips, paint-on whiteners and professional teeth whitening systems.  Let's look at each option in turn.

Bleach Trays
    Bleach trays are a teeth whitening technique that involves the use of a plastic "bleaching tray" that is filled with a special whitening gel and then placed over your teeth.  The tray is worn each day (often at night) for several weeks while the effects of the bleaching process take place.  They are a very effective way to gain whiter teeth, but can be messy since you're working with gel.  Also, the gel does not taste very good and so many people find bleach trays uncomfortable. 

White Strips
    Teeth whitening strips offer a unique way to whiten your teeth.  This type of whitening system yields similar results to bleach trays, but do not have the hassles associated with the use of gel and trays.  Strips come pre-cut to fit your teeth and have the gel already applied on the strip.  They are usually used for a few weeks before results are seen.  White strips are available over-the-counter at a very reasonable price.  Similar to bleach trays, the gel on the strips does not taste very good, but are worth the hassle for the results.

Paint-on Whiteners
    Paint-on whiteners are an interesting whitening option.  To use this kind of whitener, you brush a "paint" like substance onto your teeth using a small brush and then leave it in place for at least 30 minutes.  Most people leave it on overnight.  The best results occur when the teeth have been dried off before applying the paint. 

Dentist teeth whitening systems
    First of all, you may be wondering what the main differences are between dentist teeth whitening systems and home care systems.  Dentist teeth whitening systems are performed by a professional dentist in a dentist's office.  They use professional strength bleaching gels that you can't get over-the-counter.

Here is a list of some of the advantages of using dentist teeth whitening systems:
    Professional teeth whitening systems get your teeth whiter immediately.  This differs from home whitening systems that can take weeks to show any change. 
    Professional teeth whitening systems get your teeth a brighter white than you might see with at home whitening systems
    The results of dentist teeth whitening systems last longer than the results of at home systems

Before beginning any type of whitening system, you should talk to your dentist about what would be right for you.  S/he may say that at home systems will be perfectly safe and effective for you.  However, you may have certain dental situations that would be better off with a professional whitening system. 

The popularity of very white teeth has grown dramatically in recent years. From laser whitening to bleach to whitening strips, there are a number of procedures of varying intensity that can help to whiten your teeth.

Types of bleaching
There are several ways you can bleach your teeth. One way is through bleaching trays made by your dentist. With laser whitening, the dentist first places a special retractor in your mouth to keep the lips from touching the teeth during treatment. Then a translucent bleaching gel is applied to the teeth, and a laser is shone on the teeth for an hour. This light activates the gel, which in turn whitens the teeth. The dentist may decide to shine the light for longer than an hour, depending on the degree of discoloration the patient has.

Bleaching is another option for whitening the teeth and is the most common form of teeth whitening, as it is also the most cost-effective (aside from over the counter whitening strips). With this procedure, the patient visits the dentist and has impressions of your mouth taken. These impressions are then used to make a custom-made tray designed to fit your teeth exactly. From there, a bleaching gel is put in the tray and worn for an hour or two each day. Because the bleaching gel is a high concentration, results can be seen within a few days. However, it usually takes a couple of weeks to see full results. Bleaching whitens teeth about 6 shades lighter than before the process began.

Pros of bleaching teeth
For many people, the effects of aging, coffee, or other factors have taken a toll on the shade of their teeth. With so many products promoting and encouraging whiter teeth, many people feel self-conscious if their smile isn't as bright as it could be.

The main benefit of bleaching teeth is the increased confidence the patient will experience. Those who want quick, immediate results would do best with laser bleaching. Those who don't want to spend as much money or who would prefer a less dramatic method of whitening would be better off with bleaching trays.

Cons of bleaching teeth.
When done properly, there are very few cons to bleaching your teeth. The most common side effect or con is tooth sensitivity. The lighting used during laser whitening produces a very small amount of heat, but it is still a source of minimal discomfort for some people. In addition, some minor tingling can also be felt after the Zoom procedure.

With bleaching trays, keeping the bleach on for too long can also result in tooth and gum sensitivity, but this is easily remedied by only keeping the tray in for the recommended amount of time. If you are concerned with tooth sensitivity, ask your dentist to recommend or prescribe a special toothpaste designed specifically to reduce tooth sensitivity. Most dentists will tell you to wait two weeks after using the toothpaste before whitening.

Another con of bleaching is the cost. Laser whitening is much more expensive at around $1,000. Bleaching trays usually run around $500, which may or may not include the office visit.

Teeth are stronger than you may think.  Did you know that your teeth can withstand thousands of pounds of pressure?!  Although teeth are amazingly strong, they are not un-breakable.  Teeth can break as a result of trauma such as from a blow to the face or biting down on something hard.  Children are especially susceptible to breaking teeth because of rambunctious play that can lead to hitting teeth on anything from the flagpole to the driveway.  Of course, failure to take care of your teeth can also make them more prone to break.  Not brushing and eating properly will weaken teeth.  Week teeth are more susceptible to decay and decay eats away at teeth.

When you break a tooth it is most likely going to be obvious to you.  Many people can feel the loose part of tooth in their mouth.  Others who do not feel the piece of tooth that has broken off will likely feel pain, sensitivity to air and foods and swelling.   Many times the nerve under the tooth is damaged from the trauma and a damaged nerve can be very painful.

Because there is no at-home remedy for a broken tooth you must see a dentist as soon as possible.  Remember that pain serves as a warning sign that the well-being of your body has been compromised.  Pain also serves as a warning that the body has received damage of some king and ignoring that pain can lead to more serious problems such as infection and permanent damage.  

While you prepare to see your dentist regarding your broken tooth, keep the following instruction in mind:

1.    Save the tooth and any pieces - Depending on the extent of the break, your dentist may be able to cement or bond back on the piece of tooth that had been broken off.  Although this solution is often temporary it can lessen your symptoms until a more permanent solution can be found.
2.    Rinse your mouth - use warm water to rinse your mouth out.  Make sure that you are saving any tooth pieces.  Once you have cleaned out your mouth, carefully clean the pieces of the broken tooth.
3.    If you are bleeding from the area that has the broken tooth, use gauze to contain the bleeding.  Usually the bleeding will stop in about 10 minutes.  If you continue to bleed your situation may be more serious and you should seek emergency medical attention.
4.    Reduce swelling - applying a cold compress or ice wrapped in a towel over the area covering the tooth (the check or the lips).  The cold will reduce swelling and temporarily numb the pain.
5.    Temporary cement - if your dentist cannot see you right away and you do not think that your situation is an emergency, there are dental cements that you can purchase to temporarily protect the broken area of the tooth.  These dental cements are usually available in the pharmacy section of your store.
6.    Pain reliever - Feel free to take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen or Advil.  Some advise against taking an aspirin because aspirin is designed to thin the blood and therefore could make any bleeding that you are having much harder to control.  

If you receive a minor chip to your tooth there is no need to panic.  Most chipped teeth can be repaired and there is little likelihood that you will look your entire tooth as a result of a chip.  

Remember that seeing your dentist as soon as possible is going to be the best solution for solving any broken tooth problems.  Your dentist can need to determine possible threats to your oral health such as if the break was caused by decay and if the nerve is in danger.

Adults with a damaged nerve usually will require root canal treatment.  Children have more positive prospects when it comes to saving the root and a dentist could fix the problem entirely if seen immediately.

You need only flip open a magazine or drive down the highway to see advertisements and billboards for products and services that claim to whiten teeth. In our quest for a whiter smile, a number of products have come out in recent years to help people whiten and brighten their teeth.

As a general rule, no product you can buy off the shelf will give you the results your dentist can during an in-office visit. This is because dentists can use products and procedures available only to them to whiten teeth, and these procedures typically whiten teeth up to 8 shades lighter. Zoom whitening is just one of these methods.

Zoom whitening is conducted in a dentist's office and takes just one visit to the dentist that lasts about an hour. With this procedure, the dentist first places a special retractor in the patient's mouth to keep the lips from touching the teeth during treatment. Then a translucent bleaching gel is applied to the teeth, and a laser is shone on the teeth for an hour. This light activates the gel, which in turn whitens the teeth. The dentist may decide to shine the light for longer than an hour, depending on the degree of discoloration the patient has.

The main ingredient found in the Zoom gel that works to whiten teeth is Hydrogen Peroxide. The Hydrogen Peroxide is broken down by the light, and oxygen enters the enamel and dentin, bleaching colored particles without changing the structure of the tooth.

Zoom whitening comes with a number of advantages. First of all, where bleaching or in-home kits can take weeks to whiten, Zoom takes an hour. It also whitens teeth up to 8 shades, which is the most you can whiten without getting crowns or veneers. Zoom bleaching also lasts longer than most other whitening procedures. One disadvantage for some people, however, is the cost. The entire Zoom procedure is around $1000, so it's fairly expensive.

Zoom whitening effects on teeth
As with most cosmetic whitening products, there are a number of effects Zoom whitening has on the teeth.

Most of these effects are positive. Because the procedure is so strong, the results will be noticeable right when you leave the dentist's office. While some people may be uncomfortable with such an extreme and noticeable different, the majority of people who opt for Zoom do so because it is instantaneous. Those who would prefer a more gradual method of whitening should try over-the-counter products or bleaching.

When performed correctly, there are no disadvantages to Zoom whitening. The most commonly reported side effect to Zoom, however, is tooth sensitivity. The lighting used during the Zoom treatment produces a very small amount of heat, but it is still a source of minimal discomfort for some people. In addition, some minor tingling can also be felt after the Zoom procedure.

Patients who experience tooth sensitivity anyway or who don't want to take any chances should ask their doctor for specially formulated toothpaste to help prevent sensitivity.

If you're looking for a fast and effective way to lighten your teeth, Zoom lightening is worth looking in to. Zoom whitening is an effective as well as safe method for whitening teeth.

In our quest for a whiter smile, a number of products have come out in recent years to help people whiten and brighten their teeth. From strips to toothpastes to veneer covers for your teeth, deciding which route to take for teeth whitening can be confusing.

As a general rule, no product you can buy off the shelf will give you the results your dentist can during an in-office visit. This is because dentists can use products and procedures available only to them to whiten teeth, and these procedures typically whiten teeth up to 8 shades lighter. Off the shelf whitening products will still work to whiten teeth, but it may not be as dramatic.

Off the shelf whitening systems are not right for everyone. People who have severely discolored or yellowed teeth will not notice much of a difference from off the shelf products. But people who just want to whiten their teeth a few shades will see a difference from over the counter products.

What is available?
As ultra-white teeth have increased in popularity in recent years, the number of off the shelf whitening products available today has increased dramatically. Some of these products include:

Whitening toothpastes
The majority of toothpastes have some sort of whitening agents in them, and these are probably the least effective of all the over the shelf products. They typically only whiten teeth about a shade, which in most cases isn't enough to notice a difference. This is because toothpastes don't contain bleaching agents that other whitening products have, so they only work to remove surface stains, not the deeper staining that causes discoloring. They are also the cheapest, at about $2-3 a container.

Whitening Strips
Perhaps the most popular off the shelf tooth whitening system, whitening strips come in a variety of brands with a variety of different strengths and times you spend applying them. Typically, you put them on twice a day from anywhere between 3 days to 14, with results noticeable after several days. These products contain peroxide, which will help to whiten the teeth to some degree (more than toothpaste but less than a dentist's visit). Results typically last at least six months.

Whitening gels
Whitening gels typically involve a small container of peroxide that you paint over the surface of your teeth with a small brush twice a day and leave on. The entire procedure takes about 2 weeks. These gels are generally effective as the gel manages to stay on the teeth longer than other products.

At-home bleaching trays
At-home bleaching trays consist of a one-size-fits-all mouth tray and a peroxide-based bleaching gel. The gel is applied to the tray and the tray is worn an hour or so a night for a week or two, depending on the level of whitening desired. While these will also achieve some degree of whitening, they are not recommended as it's important to have a custom tray made to fit your mouth specifically, rather than a generic one, which can lead to uneven whitening.

Off-the-shelf whitening products are effective for those who don't have severely discolored teeth and want to lighten their teeth a few shades.

Earlier when there was no proper treatment introduced in dentistry only dentures was the answer for tooth decay. But now dentistry has advanced so rapidly that almost every tooth problem has a solution.

Prosthodontics deals with the replacement of teeth by fixing crows, bridges and dentures. A new technique has been introduced named as cosmetic dentistry that aims to add a glow to the teeth by making it shinier and whiter. It is obvious that when your teeth look beautiful it directly reflects in your smile and enhances your personality.

There are different procedures to beautify your teeth.

Bleaching is one of the procedures to whiten the layers of your teeth by using bleaching agents. There are trays that are loaded with these agents and they are fixed to the teeth. They are removed after an hour or two. The process is repeated depending upon the patient’s tooth discoloration. There is a new procedure wherein the agent is directly applied to the teeth without using any trays. It can be completed in just a sitting within 30-45 minutes.

There is another technique, which can be carried out at home. Individual trays are made and are loaded with the necessary chemicals. They are inserted into the mouth and are retained for about 6-8 hours and are removed later. It requires almost 15-20 days to show results. But after this procedure you may experience slight gum irritation and teeth sensitivity. But the results of this procedure are really promising. It is better if the same procedure is carried out in the dentist’s office as the dentist has the required knowledge.