Tooth whiteners are practically unavoidable these days. Everywhere you look, you will see a television commercial, a store window, a radio message, or a print ad, constantly discovering the benefits of the latest and greatest teeth whiteners hitting the market. They’re big business, to be sure, but do they really work?
The teeth are one of the most visible parts of our body. They are on display constantly, and people take great care to make sure their teeth look their best. We went to great lengths, from porcelain veneers to complicated and expensive orthodontic work, just to make sure our smiles dazzle.
Of course, our teeth take a lot of abuse. We bombard them with cavity-causing sugar-filled diets, soak them in staining coffee, while we wait for our pearly whites to stay both pearly and white. So it’s no wonder things like tooth whiteners, which promise an immediate and relatively inexpensive way to improve our smiles, are big business.
In any such market, there will be great potential for scams and abuse, with unscrupulous people looking to make money off a hot trend. Fortunately for all of us who need a little dental adjustment from time to time, most of the whiteners on the market actually work, although how well they work depends on the type you choose.
The cheapest tooth whiteners are whitening toothpastes, which incorporate hydrogen peroxide and other chemicals in addition to the usual cleaners found in toothpaste. These are more effective at maintaining the color of your teeth than at making them whiter, working primarily by removing dirt and debris.
The next step in tooth whiteners is mouth-to-mouth strips, which are placed over teeth almost invisibly as the day progresses, dissolving as the day goes on. These are more effective than toothpastes, but you really shouldn’t expect your teeth to get whiter by more than a shade or two, and you should try to reduce the things that will keep staining them, like excessive coffee consumption.
The most effective type generally available at your local store will be the leave-in-tray variety. Basically, you fill a molded tray with a whitening solution and then leave it in for a set period to lighten your teeth. As you can imagine, this is the most effective and expensive tooth whitener you can get without going to the dentist. But they work and you can get several shades whiter with these treatments.
Of course, the most powerful method of teeth whitening is laser-activated whitening, which you can only get at the dentist’s office. This process can turn even the most stained teeth into a stunning smile, but it is costly and inconvenient. Tooth whiteners work, and it’s just a matter of finding the right one for your teeth and your budget.