Those of us who love tea, coffee, red wine, or cola know the struggle of yellow teeth all too well. Fortunately, there is no ultimatum: you don’t need to choose between your favorite drinks and non-yellow chompers.
Solutions exist, but the vast number of drugstore whiteners claiming to work miracles can be overwhelming.
To help shed some light on the situation, Highlands Ranch Dental Group is taking the chance to create a field guide to drugstore whitening treatments.
What Causes Teeth to Yellow?
When you smoke or eat deep colored foods, a layer called a pellicle film begins to form on top of your enamel. As the film sits on top of your teeth, it slowly sets into your enamel, where it leaves a mark that brushing and professional dental cleanings can’t remove.
These stains are quite stubborn, and will need special techniques and products in order to remove them.
OTC Whiteners
In some cases, drugstore whitening products can be an effective at-home treatment for tooth discoloration.
There are currently two types of over-the-counter ingredients that are most often used as whitening agents. These are hydrogen peroxide and carbamide. When these products come into contact with your teeth, they gradually lift away stains.
Whitening products are available in the form of gels, pastes, strips, and mouthwashes. Because carbamide and hydrogen peroxide need time to sit on the teeth in order to work, strips and gels tend to be the more effective options.
Drawbacks to OTC Whitening
OTC whitening can work, but it is difficult to get just right. There is really no way to make adjustments if the formula isn’t suitable for you out of the box.
Another drawback is that you will miss out on the guidance of a professional. Your dentist is able to gauge your situation and recommend a product that will work best for your smile. With all the products out there, it’s difficult to shoot in the dark until you find the right formula for you.
In-Office Whitening Options
Instead of trying to find whitening options on your own, it might be a good idea to consult your dentist for professional advice about how to whiten your teeth.
At Highlands Ranch Dental Group, we offer two different whitening treatments that are safe, effective, and customized for you. For most patients, it just takes one visit for them to see dramatically whiter teeth.
| Whitening System | Treatment Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| In-Office | One 60 minute office visit | $390 |
| Take-Home | Once a day for 45 minutes for 2-5 weeks | $99 |
In addition to our in-office whitening, we also have our Bright Rewards program. To enroll, this program costs $99, but if you have visited our office for chairside whitening, you will be signed up for FREE.
Bright Rewards members get custom-fit bleaching trays and two bottles of whitening gel. At every cleaning, you will receive two tubes of touch-up gel for free.
To learn more about our whitening options, visit our whitening page.