At-home tray teeth bleaching. - An overview and guide.
Tray teeth whitening makes an excellent choice for those who like to do things themselves. It's the oldest, and probably most effective and predictable, of the different types of at-home whitening methods available.
On our pages, we cover what kinds of things cause tooth staining and when whitening treatments are likely to work.
We also describe the basics such as the steps of tray whitening, how long it takes and how long it lasts, what kind of costs are typically involved and possible side effects and how to manage them.
What exactly is tray teeth whitening?
In a nutshell, the typical tray-based teeth whitening system (like those dispensed by dentists to their patients) involves the use of clear plastic trays (termed "custom" trays) that have been fabricated and adjusted so they fit comfortably over the patient's teeth. These whitening trays are then sent home with the patient along with a quantity bleaching gel (typically a 10% carbamide peroxide whitener).
When performing their treatments, the patient places whitener into their bleaching trays and then seats them over their teeth. The trays are worn for multiple hours per day (or else overnight), for a series of days or weeks (per the dentist's and manufacturer's instructions), as the effects of the whitening process take place.
Choosing a tray-based teeth whitening system can make an excellent choice.
Did you know that more dentist utilize a tray-based teeth whitening system with their patients than any other tooth bleaching approach?
This fact alone should suggest to anyone who is seriously considering making a color change with their teeth that they should investigate tray whitening and see what advantages and benefits it has to offer.
Is using an at-home tooth whitening system the best choice for you?
Using an at-home tray teeth whitening system 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 whitener they are using is safe and they know how to use it in an appropriate manner. Failure to meet either one of these conditions could result in damage or harm.
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 over-the-counter (local stores or online). You might assume that any product that 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 product (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 gel that your dentist has chosen for your use with your bleaching tray has not been granted the ADA's seal. There can be good reasons for this:
- As we all know, many products are manufactured as "generic equivalents." It is very possible that your dentist has reviewed the literature detailing the properties of the product they have dispensed to you and are satisfied that it is appropriate. As you might expect with a generically equivalent product, its manufacturer might not seek the ADA's seal as a way of minimizing the expense of bringing the product to market.
- The product you have may contain a level of carbamide peroxide that is greater than 10% (see below). Drawing from impressions formulated from their clinical experience and a review of dental literature, your dentist may feel that a whitener containing a concentration of carbamide peroxide that is in excess of 10% is indicated and appropriate for your use. In this case however, you should always feel free to quiz your dentist so they can relate their specific thoughts and rationale to you.
A fact you should know about "at-home" tooth bleaching products:
- The active ingredient contained in all of the at-home teeth whiteners that have earned the ADA's seal, and the whitener that has been the subject of evaluation in the vast majority of at-home tray-based bleaching studies, is carbamide peroxide at a concentration of 10%.
About the information found on Animated-Teeth.com regarding at-home tray-based teeth whitening systems and products.
So to insure that there is no miscommunication about the information that we provide, 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 only refer to 10% carbamide peroxide whitening gels (such as those utilized with "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.
The above paragraph contains a lot of words. All we are really trying to say is that not all tray teeth bleaching systems have the same instructions set. It is imperative that you read and follow the directions that come with your system so you know the appropriate guidelines for its usage.
Need help telling someone that whitening their teeth wouldn't hurt?
Do you know someone who you would like to drop a hint to that whitening their teeth might make a nice change? If you do, our "Penguin" movie might be able to give you some assistance in breaking the ice about this topic. Look right below the movie for some "sharing" options.
|
|
