Tooth whitening at home?

The best way to start the day is with a cup of coffee, and that is a great way to make sure that you will continue that day with a wide smile - if the coffee hasn’t stained your smile yet, and if you smoke, the chances of your smile being white is very slim. Of course not only people with nice teeth are allowed to smile, but our surroundings may not react the same way to a radiant white smile as to a lukewarm yellow one. This is why affordable, at home tooth whitening is one of the most often searched for topics on the internet.

At home tooth whitening - what effect do household tooth whitening goods have on teeth?

At home tooth whitening methods can be divided into two categories: one that is effective because of an acidic Ph content (usually citric acid, like citrus fruits or strawberries), and the other can remove stains effectively because it is abrasive enough to do so (the sodium bicarbonate, salt and other methods making use of granules). Of course these two types of tooth whitening can be combined, and many methods make use of both kinds of at home tooth whitening products, like the strawberries and sodium carbonate method - one of the most favoured and fashionable combinations in the world of at home tooth whitening.
Strawberries are one of the most often used, star at home tooth whitening ingredients. According to numerous reports from patients using the methods on the internet, strawberries do work best in the presence of some kind of abrasive granule, so many people crush the strawberries and mix it with sodium bicarbonate, and then brush their teeth with the mixture. The prestigious journal Operative Dentistry checked if this was a way that you could actually whiten your teeth.

An experiment with the most used at home tooth whitening method

In this experiment, researchers used organically grown strawberries, and mixed them up with store bought sodium bicarbonate, and for 10 days applied it 3 times a day for 5 minutes each time with a toothbrush to 20 teeth that have previously been extracted. This method was used because researchers have determined that this was the best way to achieve the best and most even spread and apply friction the most evenly to every side of the tooth. The change was measured using a professional tooth colour scale used by dentists worldwide, and they even tried to use spectrometers to measure the change, but there was none, even after regular use of this famous at home tooth whitening product. The experiment was repeated using at home tooth whitening kits that are sold professionally, but the effect these produced could be measured.
Does this mean that the strawberries mixed with sodium carbonate at home tooth whitening method and other similar methods do not work? No, it does not, as the at home tooth whitening mix removes plaque and some tartar, and thus your teeth will appear whiter when looking at it in the mirror.

Implications of this study

So what are the lessons learned from this most interesting study? First of all, that strawberries, organic or otherwise, are best eaten and not spread. The other lesson learned is that if you want whiter teeth, your best bet is to go to a dentistry, because it seems that these at home tooth whitening methods are only good for removing plaque, and thus could be used for an impromptu hygiene session.

Real tooth whitening at home

If you really want to get your teeth whiter at home, the best way is to buy some at home tooth whitening kits that contain a tooth whitening gel with low concentrations of active ingredients and can be safely used, or to resort to the use of tooth whitening toothpastes. The whitening strips that you can buy at certain pharmacies are also super effective, and are often the most affordable choice, but the most effective at home tooth whitening method is definitely when the dentist makes trays especially tailored to your teeth, along with the prescribed tooth whitening gel, also given to you by your dentist. The gel that will be given to you is basically the same as the one that is used in the chairside whitening session, but a lower concentration.
If you really want to, you can easily do so with these great at home whitening products, but it is going to take some patience. These methods usually require you to apply the gel every day for weeks at a time.
If you do not have the patience or the time to wait for that, you can always make use of our chairside tooth whitening session, which can provide results quickly in a safe and controlled environment, in around an hour.

If you need tooth whitening treatment after braces check out this offer