In the most general sense, there are two different types of teeth whitening.
First, you go to the dentist, have him use a laser operation to whiten your smile. This can be time consuming as well as expensive.
Second, you can do it yourself at home with various methods of teeth whitening. There are three very general types of whitening methods that you can try out.
- First, there is brush-on whitening. Very easy concept: You brush on a product, allow to dry, wash out your mouth next morning. There are two flaws with this, though. First, it doesn’t work unless it dries on correctly. If you have a glass of water or you salivate too much before it dries, it rubs off very easily. Second, one of the drying agents is alcohol, which is horrible for your breath!
- Second, there are the teeth whitening strips. These are very effective, but the issue is that it does not form fit the teeth, on occasion can cause issues with some bumps and grooves not being as white as other areas.
- Third, there are trays. One would put gel into the tooth whitening tray, apply it and let it sit for a period of time. Of course, if it is not form fitted to your teeth, it may cause similar issues as with the strips. Also, there can be messes involved when you use gels.
- Fourth, there are relatively new alternatives, such as pens and other kits. These too will have some disadvantages, but generally speaking, they’ll give you great results with little mess and a relatively low cost.
Certainly home teeth whiteners may be a good option for you if you would like to save time and money over going to the dentist’s office. Of course, consulting with your dentist can’t hurt, and neither could making an informed decision about which product to use.
