Local Dental Care - Gel Whitening

Look Younger With Teeth Whitening

No doubt about it. We're living longer, we're living better. All that effort put into diet and exercise is paying off. And while you're going through your paces on the treadmill, consider another part of you that might need a bit of improvement: your smile and whether or not you have white teeth.

With age, one of the first things to go is the freshness of your smile. At about thirty, tooth color begins to dim. There is a natural tendency for dentin, just beneath the enamel, to yellow. And if you smoke or overindulge in coffee or cola, the darkening can be dramatic. Exercise and low-fat foods count for less if your smile gives you away.

But just as our health habits have improved, so has cosmetic dental technology. Now we have the tools and teeth whitening products to perfect the color, and the healthful look, of your teeth.

Teeth whitening systems take many forms. There are gels and solutions accelerated by light; laser tooth whitening is coming into use to "jump-start" the tooth whitening process. We can change color fast or over time.

In any case, the result is visible in days and, with touch-ups, will last as long as you do.

You've lived this long, you've earned it. While perfect thighs are next to impossible, a pretty smile is within everyone's reach. Go for it; don't let your smile age faster than the rest of you.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Carbamide Peroxide for Teeth Whitening

Teeth bleaching is a way of chemically lightening the color of your teeth. The most common tooth bleaching agent used to whiten teeth is peroxide. Yes, that's the same thing "bottle blondes" use to bleach their hair! But peroxide comes in different chemical forms, and you can bet the kind you put on your teeth isn't quite the same as the kind you might use to lighten your hair.

Carbamide peroxide is the teeth whitening agent used in most commercial teeth whitener products. Laser teeth whitening at the dentist's office, on the other hand, uses the stronger teeth whitening agent, hydrogen peroxide. By law, dentists can use and prescribe more concentrated teeth bleaching agents than can be used in over-the-counter teeth whiteners.

While professional teeth whitening is the fastest route to white teeth, it's also more expensive than using the carbamide peroxide whiteners that are available at grocery stores and pharmacies. Since these products have lower levels of peroxide in them, it takes longer to bleach teeth effectively. However, carbamide peroxide is safer for you to use at home. It's just not safe to use a stronger bleaching agent without a dentist's supervision; you could inadvertently damage your teeth or gums.

Lots of tooth whiteners contain carbamide peroxide. Whitening toothpaste and whitening strips are some of the most popular options, but they're not the only ones. You can get a bleaching paste that you wear in bleaching trays over your teeth. You can get bleaching gel that you paint onto your teeth. Or you can go to your dentist for instant whitening -- it all depends on how fast you want a new bright smile!

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.