Teeth whitening using natural remedies vs professional in office teeth whitening
Teeth whitening is a rapid growing trend that is popular for many different generations. As there are many different types of teeth whitening methods that are available it is important to understand which method has the best results and to determine which method is right for your mouth.
Whitening methods can generally be broken into two categories at home whitening or professional whitening treatment. There are many natural whitening methods that can be used for at home whitening, although they may sound very promising they don’t always have the best results.
Natural At Home Whitening Methods
Oil pulling using coconut oil is a method of using coconut oil to brush your teeth on a regular basis. Although it is good for reducing bacterial count and to help fight the bacteria that can cause gum disease, it does not do active teeth whitening. This method is not recommended for people with high blood cholesterol.
Brushing your teeth with baking soda. baking soda is a known natural cleaning and whitening material. It increases the PH level in the mouth which promotes and pushes the calcium in the tooth surface allowing for teeth to appear whiter. It does not whiten the teeth significantly and this method can take a very long time to show results.
Hydrogen peroxide is a natural bleaching agent that used to be used for wounds disinfection. Hydrogen peroxide can usually be found in mouth rinses. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the important materials used in teeth whitening but the highest concentration available in the market for the general public’s usage is a concentration of 3% which will cause some whitening effect on the teeth but will generally not make a significant difference.
Activated Charcoal Particles have a very high absorbing activity. It absorbs stains and chemicals. But it can cause abrasion which is very harmful to the enamel and other oral tissues. Many toothpastes over the counter are available with this as the active whitening agent. Results can vary according to usage and the structure of the individuals tooth.
Professional Teeth Whitening
On the other hand, a professional teeth whitening is done differently. First, it is always recommended to precede the tooth whitening with a dental exam, which is done to make sure that there are no cavities on these teeth getting whitening on. The whitening material can cause a lot of pain if it is applied to a tooth with a cavity or with exposed dentin or roots.
Second, a teeth cleaning session (scaling and polishing) is very crucial to be done before the whitening session. Teeth with dental calculus on and/or stains will not get the desired whitening effect. The teeth must be absolutely clean to allow the whitening material to reach to the tooth surface and for the ingredients to be activated.
Third, the whitening done professionally at the dental office is always done using very high concentration of the peroxide agents, which is only available for use by dental professionals. These active whitening ingredients are used after applying the necessary protection to the surrounding tissues like the gums, lips, and tongue. Some of these whitening ingredients used in conjunction with activating tools like the blue light or warm temperature. For these reasons, the professional teeth whitening has better results than the natural remedies and has less harmful effect on the gums and lips.
If teeth whitening is something that you are considering it is highly recommended that you speak to a dental professional to determine which method would work for your needs.