Teeth Whitening At Home: What Are My Options?

If you have been down the oral health aisle at your local grocery store recently, you have probably seen many different products boasting of their tooth whitening abilities. We will review some of the most popular tooth whitening products and explain what makes them tick.

Whitening Toothpaste

Lots of toothpaste now boast whitening properties. One thing to remember about toothpaste is that they have always had some whitening potential due to its mild abrasive properties. The abrasive properties of toothpaste make them able to remove stains on teeth. Depending on the whitening product in the toothpaste, you can expect it to lighten your teeth by about one shade. Whitening toothpaste is generally best used to keep teeth that have already been whitened white longer.

Whitening Strips And Gels

Most gels are peroxide-based and are applied with a brush to your teeth. With gels, following the application instructions closely is essential to avoid application accidents. However, gels offer decent results that you can expect to last a few months.

Strips are one of the newest whitening products available today. They are similar to gels in that they are peroxide based and give roughly the same results. Strips are more convenient than their gel counterparts and are typically easier to clean up. Both gels and ribbons must be applied to and left on your teeth for a decent amount of time each day.

Whitening Rinses

Frequently advertised on mouthwashes and breath freshening rinses, this teeth whitening method is one of the least effective for a few reasons. Your teeth are in contact with the whitening agent for only a few minutes a day, making it hard to be very effective. Further, there is no abrasive action involved in the process of swishing mouthwash around in your mouth. Don’t count on these products to give you impressive results.

If you’d like to learn more about teeth whitening and schedule a no-obligation consultation, please call us at (803) 310-4707 to schedule an appointment. We look forward to seeing your smile!