3 Best Ways to Whiten Teeth (Dental Hygienist Explains)

Hi everyone. My name is Whitney and I'm a dental hygienist. If you're new here, welcome. If you've been here before, welcome back. Today, let's talk about teeth whitening. So you want whiter teeth. It's a trend that's been around for a long while. I get it. Let's talk about the three steps you need to take in order to properly and safely whiten your teeth. Step one, make sure you're a teeth whitening candidate. You are not a teeth whitening candidate if you are currently pregnant or nursing, under 18 years old, undergoing chemo or radiation, using photosensitive drugs, diagnosed with melanoma, have cracked enamel, carious lesions, cervical abrasion, and or dentinogenesis imperfecta or ameliogenesis imperfecta. You may or may not be a candidate if you have anterior fillings and or veneers, internal staining such as tetracycline staining or fluorosis. So that is step one. Find out if you're a candidate, which entails asking your dentist or dental hygienist. It's also recommended and always best to have your teeth professionally cleaned before you whiten your teeth. If you get routine cleanings every six months, you're probably fine. But if you have not had a professional dental cleaning and exam in a while, you need to do that before you consider whitening. Step two, decide how much time and how much money you want to spend. So the most expensive whitening treatments generally, not always, but often generally, are the ones that will achieve whitening results quicker. And the more affordable whitening treatments will generally take a little longer to achieve the results. So it is up to you how much time you are willing to commit and how much money you are willing to spend. The three whitening options that I'm about to discuss all will achieve the same result. However, there are pros and cons to each option. So like I said, always talk to your dental provider before you consider whitening. But until then, here are some things to think about. Oh, one more thing. The three options I'm about to discuss all contain some type of peroxide. Peroxide is the ingredient that whitens your teeth. So depending on the concentration of peroxide that the product itself contains, that's what will determine the price and the speed. The first option is whitening strips. They contain smaller amounts of peroxide, which will take longer, but you still should achieve professional results. So if you have a week or two or even a month, and you want to choose the most affordable option, then I would recommend to try whitening strips. Pros of whitening strips. They are affordable and you can take breaks and make your own schedule if you're having sensitivity, such as one day on, one day off. Cons of whitening strips. If you're not careful, sometimes they can slip and get on your gums and steam your gums, especially if you were someone who produces a lot of saliva regularly. If you normally have a spitty mouth, they might not stick on your teeth as well, causing them to slide around and move around. The second option is custom trays. These are the ones that you would get an impression taken at your dental office. Usually alginate impressions, but it can vary the type of impression. Regardless, they are custom fabricated, so they look like clear aligners and they fit perfectly to your teeth, to your dentition. They are usually moderately priced, but they can last for a very long time, maybe even forever if you take care of them. And then whenever you want to whiten, you purchase the whitening product to go into them. This whitening product is available to purchase at your dental office, so if you're interested, ask what they have. And depending on the type of product they offer, they'll let you know the amount of peroxide and how long it will take to achieve the results you want. It can be anywhere from a couple weeks to a month. Cons of whitening trays. Price. They can be more expensive than strips and less convenient because you can't just go to the store to buy them. You need to have your dental trays fitted and fabricated by a dental professional. Pros of custom whitening trays. They are known to be the least reported in causing sensitivity, generally because they fit your teeth perfectly and it's less likely that the whitening product will touch your gums. And lots of custom whitening material is made from carbamide peroxide instead of hydrogen peroxide, and a lot of them contain potassium nitrate. You don't have to remember all that, but what it means is a lot of them contain the ingredients that help reduce tooth sensitivity. And also with these, just like strips, you can make your own routine at home and take them on and off as needed. And lastly, the third option is in-office whitening. This will be the quickest and you will be in and out in one dental appointment. Sometimes two, depending on the treatment, but you'll be in and out with the whitening results you want. So that's the pro. It's quick. However, the cons are that this is generally the most expensive option and it commonly has the most sensitivity upon use. In-office whitening solutions are much stronger than the at-home products because they work fast. In addition, they sometimes use heat, light, or a combination of the two to intensify your whitening process. So that's definitely something to consider if you've ever had or you're currently having sensitive teeth. Again, please remember that you will achieve the same results no matter which option you choose. So choose wisely depending on your level of commitment and how much money you have and if your teeth are sensitive or not. I can't stress enough to talk with your dental provider before you make a decision because they can help guide you in the right direction and let you know the best option for your individual mouth. And before I go, something important to note for all whitening products is if you lose the directions from the product you are using, do not, and I repeat, do not read someone else's directions from another box. There are multiple concentrations for each product that all require a different amount of time for them to sit on your teeth. And some products use carbamide peroxide instead of hydrogen peroxide and the conversion of the percentage of peroxide, if it's a different type of peroxide, with the amount of time on your teeth does not transfer over between the two types. So if you're using 35% carbamide peroxide, it would be about 12% hydrogen peroxide because it's divided by three. My point is follow your directions on your box. I actually have a whole video about that which I will link below if you want to learn more. Also on my website, teethtalkgirl.com, I have a list of popular whitening products with the type and amount of peroxide and the amount of time they should be left on your teeth, which I will link below as well. I hope this video helped you. Please like and subscribe if it did. And if you want more teeth talk, you can visit my website, teethtalkgirl.com, where I have more articles and videos about healthy mouths and healthy teeth. Peace, love, and teeth!