Types of Teeth Whitening Products

There are two major classifications of teeth whitening products: those you can purchase at home with no prescription required, or those you need to get from a dentist. Within these major classifications of teeth whitening products, there are many different options that may have varying degrees of success.

At Home Teeth Whitening Products

There are numerous at home teeth whitening products on the market. Some of these are multi-purpose products, such as gum that promises to whiten your teeth and tooth paste that claims to have a whitening component. While these multi-purpose products may provide some lightening effects over time, the change in shade of your teeth is unlikely to be dramatic when you use one of these gums or whitening toothpastes. Such products are helpful to maintain a pearly white smile, however.

There are also home bleaching kits or home whitening kits that can have a higher degree of success than the multi-purpose products. White stripes are one option, which are strips you can apply to your teeth that contain a bleaching agent that will change the color. Some white strip companies allow you to wear the strips at any time and claim you can't see them, while others are designed to be worn at given intervals before bed. While the at home teeth whitening products that come in the form of bleaching kits can be effective, they are usually not as effective as teeth whitening products available from your dentist.

Dentist Teeth Whitening Products

Your dentist can also provide you with teeth whitening products that you can obtain from his office. There are two different types of treatment from your dentist. Some dentists will provide an in-office bleaching treatment that is a more intensive bleaching system. These treatments are one time treatments done in the dentists office, which can make your teeth several shades whiter.

Dentists also offer you gels and teeth whitening products that can be used at home. In most cases, your dentist will make an actual mold of your teeth in order to create plastic whitening trays for you. You then put the gel- which is generally stronger than the gel available over the counter- in the teeth whitening trays and wear the trays with the gel for the prescribed period of time. This can have a great impact on your teeth and, like the in office procedures, can make your teeth several shades whiter if you follow the program. Often, it is common to wear the gel and trays for around two weeks, although home teeth whitening products vary depending on your dentist and the type of gel used.

With any teeth whitening products, it is important to note that you may experience sensitivity during the time period when you are doing the bleaching. You should also refrain from drinking red wine, coffee or other staining products during the time when bleaching your teeth.