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FYI: Don’t waste time, money and effort on whitening strips or at-home dental whitening lights. Clinical trials show that they do not provide significant results.
There are a variety of at-home products and methods on the market today that claim to deliver effective dental whitening. Some of these methods and products work better than others and some do not actually work at all. The active ingredient in whitening gel is very important. The most effective systems utilize Carbamide Peroxide in a concentration of 10% - 35%. Non glycerin-based formulas containing concentrations of 22% Carbamide Peroxide yield the best balance of efficacy and safety. Listed below are the popular methods for at-home dental whitening.
Dental Whitening Product Comparisons
There are a variety of at-home dental whitening products on the market which contain the approved ingredients and methodology needed to obtain effective results. Use the following easy-to-measure criterion to compare the effectiveness and value of the many dental whitening systems on the market today.
CARBAMIDE PEROXIDE - If a dental whitening system does not contain carbamide peroxide, it probably won't give you the results you want. Whitening gels should contain from 10% to 35% carbamide peroxide. The most popular strength is 16%. The higher the percentage of carbamide peroxide, the more powerful the formula. Be aware that a high percentage (22%) of carbamide peroxide may cause unnecessary tooth and gum irritation. Also, buyer beware of any product that is delivered in unmarked containers, tubes and/or syringes or any product that does not specify the actual percentage of active ingredient. MOLDABLE BLEACHING TRAYS - An effective whitening system must contain custom moldable bleaching trays for your teeth. The whitening gel is required to stay in contact with the surface of your teeth for a length of time in order to be effective. This is why whitening toothpastes, whitening sprays and swabs do not work. Without the use of a moldable bleaching tray you will see problematic and inconsistent results. There are two types of moldable bleaching trays, the ThermoForm (boil-n-bite) type and the ProLab professional lab-created type. Both are effective, but ProLab bleaching trays may be more convenient and comfortable to use. Quality Whitening kits will provide you with an additional bleaching tray (or materials to create impressions). Sometimes a patient may destroy a bleaching tray during the molding process and it is always nice to have an extra one just in case. QUANTITY OF WHITENING GEL - The number one complaint of at-home dental bleaching patients is that they did not receive enough whitening gel to get the job done. You must receive enough whitening gel to get your desired results. Most systems package the gel inside several syringes containing only 1.2ml to 3ml each (unlike the Oversized 5ml Syringes sold here. Be aware that most systems create the need for you to purchase multiple kits and/or refill gel in order to get enough whitening gel to see the results you desire. Make sure that you receive enough whitening gel to get the results you are after. MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE - Make sure that the dental whitening system you purchase comes with a money-back guarantee. You should be able to see significant results within 30 days from the start of your treatment. This is an easy way to tell if the company you purchase your whitening system from has confidence in its own system.
The only other consideration to be given to the formulation of dental bleaching systems is the addition of other active ingredients to the whitening gel. Other products may add flavorings or desensitizers to reduce discomfort of your mouth, gums or teeth during the bleaching process. We elected not to add desensitizers to our formula for very simple reasons. First, VHL whitening gel does not contain a glycerin base. Glycerin causes unnecessary sensitivities on the gum and mouth tissues. Since our formula emphasizes consumer safety, it uses a non-glycerin base, thus eliminates the need for desensitizing agents in the formula to compensate for a glycerin base. Second, sensitivity is your body’s way of telling you to reduce the exposure time to the bleaching agent. If you inhibit this natural warning buzzer, you may unknowingly increase your sensitivity reaction. Also, be aware if fluoride is contained in the whitening gel formula. It is against FDA regulations to formulate a whitening gel with fluoride since the FDA has not approved bleaching formulas containing fluoride.
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