I have always envied those around me who seem to always have perfect smiles without even trying, because I feel like I was born with "bad teeth." While my teeth are in great shape now, it is only because I take great care to visit the dentist every six months for a check-up and cleaning and maintain good oral hygiene habits at home. While I used to get a lot of cavities, even though I thought I was doing "everything right" to keep them away, I am proud to say that I have been cavity-free for a couple of years now! I put a lot of research into what daily habits can wreak havoc on my teeth, and I thought it would be a shame not to share what has helped me with others who need the advice. I plan to post many oral health tips on my new blog!
A bright, friendly smile is one of your greatest assets. People notice smiles even when they aren't paying much attention to your other features, and they tend to remember another person's smile more clearly than other features as well. In both your personal and professional life, it can be helpful to be able to flash a dazzling smile when you meet someone you want to impress. But if your teeth seem dull and dingy when you look in the mirror, you may be less eager to smile in social situations. Is there a fast way to shine up your smile? You've probably seen whitening products and DIY methods that promise fast results, but do they really work? Take a look at what you need to know about instantly white smiles.
Whitening Toothpaste
The toothpaste aisle at any drugstore will contain more than a few options that promise whiter teeth. But do they work? The answer is both yes and no. It's possible that the use of a whitening toothpaste will slightly whiten your teeth by removing surface stains that make them look dull, but you shouldn't expect the results to be immediate or drastic.
Typically, over-the-counter toothpastes don't contain bleaching agents, like peroxide, that would whiten the surface of your teeth. Like any toothpaste, they can whiten your teeth slightly by removing stains. And whitening toothpastes often contain extra abrasives that can remove tougher stains than ordinary toothpaste, but it's important to be careful about using these products. Abrasives in toothpaste can cut dentin and enamel – the materials that your teeth are made from – causing pain, tooth sensitivity, and damage to your teeth and gums. Toothpastes are measured in RDA value (Relative Dentin Abrasivity Value), and many whitening toothpastes measure high on the RDA scale.
Although you can find recipes online for making your own whitening paste with abrasives like baking soda or charcoal, it's best to avoid them. They won't produce results any faster or more reliably than commercial products, and if you can damage your teeth with abrasive toothpaste sold in stores, it's even easier to do so with a homemade paste when you can't easily measure the abrasiveness of the mixture.
Tooth Whitening Gels, Strips, and Trays
A more effective family of tooth-whitening products includes at-home treatments like whitening gels, strips, and trays. These generally do contain chemicals that have a bleaching effect on teeth. However, that still doesn't mean that you'll see instant results.
Tooth bleaching products sold over the counter generally contain fairly low levels of bleaching chemicals. They will lighten your teeth, but you may have to use them for weeks before achieving a noticeable result.
A faster way to get results is to ask a cosmetic dentist about prescription-strength, in-home whitening trays. Your dentist can give you a bleaching solution that's stronger than what's sold in stores, and you'll see results faster. However, it's still unlikely that you could call the results instant.
In-Office Whitening Treatments
One final option is in-office whitening treatments, and if what you're looking for is fast results, this is your best bet. Depending on the method your cosmetic dentist uses and how many shades lighter you want your teeth to be, it may still take several treatments to reach your desired level of whiteness, but it is possible to achieve noticeable results in just one short treatment.
The fastest method of in-office tooth whitening involves applying a concentrated bleaching agent to your teeth and shining a laser on them to enhance the whitening process. Before undergoing your whitening treatment, your dentist will check to make sure that your teeth and gums are healthy and that you're a good candidate for whitening treatments.
Whitening treatments are safe when administered by an experienced cosmetic dentist, but be wary of temporary stands and mall kiosks offering whitening treatments – the treatments may not be applied by real dentists and may not be up to the safety or quality standards that you'd get from a real cosmetic dentist.
So, are instantly whiter teeth possible? Yes, but not every whitening product or procedure can deliver such fast results. Most products that promise whiter teeth will provide you with some lightening over time, and even in-office treatments, while capable of producing instant results, may take more than one treatment to reach the level of whiteness you want. To find out which whitening method is best for your teeth, make an appointment with your cosmetic dentist.
Share7 January 2019
