Must-Knows About At-Home Whitening

Although you can get over-the-counter whiteners without a dentist’s recommendation, if you over-use them or use them incorrectly, they can harm your tooth enamel and irritate your gum tissue. Also, over-bleaching can produce an undesirable bluish hue, chalky whiteness or uneven results (otherwise known as “the technicolor effect”).

Supervision by a dentist can prevent these problems. To ensure the health of your smile, see your dentist before choosing an over-the-counter tooth whitener and beginning the bleaching process. Dentists know a lot about these products and can help you choose the right one and use it correctly.

Also keep in mind:

  • The stronger the peroxide formula, the more rapid its effect; the weaker the formula, the longer it can remain on the teeth safely. A low-percentage bleach used overnight every night of the week will produce about the same results as a high-percentage “day-bleach” that stays on the teeth one hour per day for seven days.
  • The best time to begin at-home whitening is soon after a dental hygienist’s prophylactic cleaning. This procedure removes the surface layer of plaque and grime that can interfere with bleaching.
  • Dentists and oral care companies urge brushing and flossing the teeth just prior to any kind of at-home or on-the-go whitening.
  • For best results, don’t consume food or beverages (excluding water) for a couple of hours after whitening.

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Posted on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 11:22 pm under Teeth Whitening Tips. Follow through the RSS 2.0 feed. leave a response, or trackback.

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