Teeth whitening gel is one of the most effective tools dentists recommend in the fight against yellowish colored teeth and stains. This special gel was actually discovered by mistake many years ago, but the formula was changed over the years to be more efficient and less damaging for the teeth.
What does the teeth whitening gel contain?
Most whitening gels are peroxide-based. If, back in the 1960’s, the first orthodontist that recommended carbamide peroxide used it as an antiseptic for his patient’s gums, nowadays this substance is mostly used to whiten the teeth. The concentration of this substance is different according to the needs of the patient and depending on whether it has to be used at home or at the dentist’s.
Teeth can change their color over time due to a series of factors:
- Age. With time, the natural and chemical colorants in the aliments can influence the color of the teeth.
- Alimentation. Some aliments can leave stains on the teeth and if they are not cleaned immediately, they can go in the deeper layers.
- Bad habits, such as smoking.
- Chemically and naturally colored beverages. Red wine and cola, for example are known to have the strongest negative effect on the color of the teeth.
- Medication. Antibiotics, antihistamines or other pills that have to be taken on a regular basis, like the high blood pressure ones, have been known to turn the dentition yellow.
How does a teeth whitening gel work?
There are basically two major ways you can use the gel:
- You can have it applied by a dentist. This is very safe and you can be sure the results are completely professional. Unfortunately, whitening your teeth at the dentist’s can be quite expensive. If you decide for the dentist whitening treatment with the special gel, you should know that it might take some time and that only one session is usually not enough.
- You can apply your whitening gel at home. This gel can be bought online, from drug stores or from the dentist. It is easy to use and it is advisable to be bought together with some other items like some special trays made from thermo foam. All these can be found in home teeth whitening kits that come with instructions too, for a safer and easier use. In some cases, the whitening gel can have a smaller concentration of peroxide than in the case of the gel from the dentist, but it is enough to whiten the teeth efficiently. Moreover, this can be a very cost effective solution and you won’t have to go to the dentist every day for a week or so.
No matter the way you choose to have your teeth whitened, using a high quality gel is mandatory. Make sure you purchase one that is medically endorsed and that causes no side effects at all. It is actually better to invest more in an efficient gel than to pay less and have no results. But once you get the perfect teeth whitening gel for you, you will have the smile you have been dreaming about.
