Our pages about tray-based at-home teeth whitening systems cover issues such as: What types of whitening gels have been recognized as safe and effective? What causes teeth to become stained or discolored? When can tray-based teeth whitening be expected to work and under what circumstances might it not be effective? How long can you expect the whitening effects to last? Our pages also outline the steps involved with tray-based whitening systems, teeth whitening costs, and a discussion about side effects and safety concerns associated with carbamide peroxide teeth whiteners.
While you probably already know that there are a number of types of systems and products that can be used to whiten teeth, you may not be aware of the fact that since the early 1990's more dentists have chosen to utilize tray-based teeth whitening technique with their patients than any other bleaching system.
The typical dentist dispensed tray-based teeth whitening system involves the use of a plastic tray (a "custom bleaching tray") that has been fabricated and adjusted so it fits comfortably over the patient's teeth. The custom tray is then sent home with the patient along with a quantity of carbamide peroxide (10% concentration) bleaching gel and instructions describing how to use them. In general, the idea is that the patient needs to place dabs of the whitener into the bleaching tray and then seat the tray over their teeth. The tray is worn for multiple hours per day (or else overnight), over a series of days or weeks (per the dentist's and manufacturer's instructions), as the effects of the whitening process are allowed to take place.
Using at-home tray teeth whitening products can be an excellent way for a person to safely and effectively bleach their teeth. It is, however, extremely important for anyone choosing to utilize this type of system to realize that essentially all of their whitening treatments will be performed on their own with absolutely no direct supervision by a dental professional. Because of this, anyone bleaching their teeth must be certain that the specific whitener they are using is safe and that they know how to use this product in an appropriate manner. Failure to meet either one of these conditions might result in damage or harm.
Please take the time now, before you view the remainder of our topic's pages, to read our next section titled: "About at-home teeth whitening products: Know what you're buying."
Some of the smile makeover simulations found in our Cosmetic Dentistry section (Animated-Teeth.com's Topics Index) illustrate the type of changes that the use of an at-home teeth whitening product might be expected to make.
About at-home teeth whitening products: Know what you're buying.There's a wide variety of tooth bleaching products that are available to you as a consumer, both from your dentist and also over-the-counter (i.e., drug stores). You might assume that any tooth whitener which is available has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") but this is not the case. The FDA does not categorize tooth whiteners as drugs and therefore it does not regulate them. As one of its functions the American Dental Association (the "ADA") has chosen to set guidelines for dental products. These guidelines dictate standards for both safety and product effectiveness. In the case of at-home tooth whiteners, the ADA's guidelines state that a whitener (when used as directed) must not be harmful to either teeth or the soft tissues of the mouth, and that it can effectively whiten teeth. A manufacturer can, at their own effort and expense, submit to the ADA data from their research and clinical trials. If the ADA finds that their guidelines have been met by this data they will issue to the manufacturer, for that specific product, the ADA's "Seal of Acceptance." Since earning the ADA's seal is an expensive and time-consuming venture for a manufacturer, not to mention completely optional, earning this seal clearly demonstrates a company's commitment toward creating a quality product. Those manufacturers who have earned the ADA's seal will usually display it prominently on their product's packaging. You may discover that the whitening product that your dentist has chosen for your use has not been granted the ADA's seal. There can be good reasons for this:
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About the information regarding teeth whitening products found on the pages of this Animated-Teeth.com topic.All references to tooth whiteners (whitening gels, tooth bleaches, bleaching agents, bleaching gels, etc...) found on the pages of our At-Home Tray-Based Teeth Whitening topic refer to only those "at-home" dentist dispensed bleaching products that have earned the ADA's "Seal of Acceptance," that are utilized in custom fitted bleaching trays that have been fabricated by a dentist, whose use is monitored by a dentist, and are used in accordance with both a dentist's and the manufacturer's instructions. |
| On this page: What is tray-based teeth bleaching? Is whitening teeth with a tray system the best choice? About tray-based teeth whitening products. |