Sunday, September 13, 2009

Whitening Trays

By Cody Scholberg

Teeth whitening trays are now available as a teeth whitening option either over-the-counter or in the dentist office. The trays are first molded to the teeth, after which they are filled with a gel, which contains hydrogen peroxide. They are then placed on the teeth, where they hold the hydrogen peroxide containing gel on the teeth for a period of time.

Aquafresh White Trays are the most well-known over-the-counter whitening trays. The gel contains ten percent hydrogen peroxide.

Gels that users get at the dentist often contain more than ten percent hydrogen peroxide, making them more effective. The trays and gel are usually given to a patient after a laser teeth whitening treatment or other teeth whitening treatment in order to complete the finishing touches of the treatment.

The trays have features both better and worse than other teeth whitening products.

They are superior to whitening toothpastes, because whitening toothpastes only contain abrasive materials and do not contain the bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide.

Whitening mouthwashes fail in comparison to whitening trays as well, because they only expose the teeth to the hydrogen peroxide for a minute or less, while the trays hold it for a longer period, usually twenty minutes.

They are superior to the whitening strips products in that they coat the entire tooth. Whitening strips cannot get into the cracks and grooves between the teeth, since the strips lay on top of the set of teeth. Whitening trays, however, can do this.

Sadly, whitening trays are not perfect. Because they use gel, the user has less control over where the hydrogen peroxide goes. Sometimes, the gel can spill into the mouth or come into contact with the gum, cheek, or tongue.

When the gel spills into other areas of the mouth, it will taste bad. More importantly, however, it will burn the tissue, which can lead to gum and tooth sensitivity. Although this sensitivity usually subsides within twenty four to forty eight hours, it is best avoided.

These trays will certainly whiten your teeth well, however. They do not leave spots out like the strips do; there is no "zebra" effect. If you are looking for a teeth whitening product that will be the most thorough, and you do not want to spend the money on a laser teeth whitening procedure, then white trays would be a good choice if it were not for their problem of easily burning mouth tissue. As it stands, they are not recommended for this reason. - 16890

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