Teeth Whitening: Are you choosing the right solution

Today, most dental practices offer two types of teeth whitening. Laser teeth whitening is done in the surgery, usually takes from 1-2 hours and produces instant whitening results. Alternatively, your dentist can make you a home whitening kit. Depending on the systems he uses, the home kit may need to be worn for anything from an hour or two up to overnight.
Both procedures use a peroxide-based bleaching gel, which will be anything from 3% to 30% peroxide. The stronger the concentration, the more dramatic the results will be.
Before any whitening is done, you’ll have a consultation with your dentist, who’ll outline the procedure and any associated risks. The dentist will decide on the concentration of peroxide to be used, and he’ll also protect your lips and gums so they don’t come into contact with the peroxide.
Once the whitening gel has been applied to the teeth it’s activated by exposure to a light or laser. The gel is removed after about 15 minutes, and most dentists will then repeat the procedure twice more.
Then comes the moment of truth. The dentist will use a shade guide to measure how much whiter your teeth have become – results can be dramatic and many patients report teeth up to 10 shades lighter.
It’s important to note that whitening doesn’t change the colour of fillings or crowns – so these may need to be changed to match the colour of your whitened teeth.
How much whiter will your teeth be? That depends on the individual – as you’d expect, people with heavily stained, yellow teeth will see a more dramatic change, but everyone can expect to see an improvement. And while some patients report increased sensitivity during the process, the good news is that this wears off very quickly.
If you’re thinking about teeth whitening the first step is to talk to your dentist – he’ll be able to give you all the advice you need, and advise you on the likely cost. For more info visit: http://www.thehospitalgroup.org/teeth-whitening.php