Today cosmetic treatments have become quite popular. A smile is of great importance to a person’s confidence, the very reason behind millions of people visiting dentists across the world in a bid to get brighter and more youthful set of teeth. Tooth whitening is one of the popular cosmetic treatments. Most of the dental clinics whiten patient’s teeth using most advanced techniques.

I will probably be getting my teeth whitened soon but I know there is different methods and therefore prices. .

The one I will probably get is I think a light system one, costs $100

If you could mention the different methods, which ones are best, and people with personal experiences with teeth whitening – was it worth it??

It’s perfectly normal to be wary of a home-based product that claims to be just as effective as its professional industry counterpart. Most products claim to be just as good if not better than teeth whitening that a dentist can offer when simply this is just not true.
Going to the dentist will provide you with professional care and a faster whitening process, certainly two things that matter when it comes to health care and modern day schedules, as most people are busy doing other things, they want a fast and effective solution.
LASER TOOTH WHITENING – How it works
After the initial free consultation,– this will be where the dentist is able to answer all of your questions and examine your teeth. The dentist will ensure that the teeth are in a good condition to go ahead with the whitening.
To begin with the teeth are cleaned and dried by the dentist. A protective coating is applied to the gums and then the bleaching gel is applied to the teeth.
Each tooth is then exposed to the laser for thirty seconds during which the patient either feels a tingling sensation or nothing at all. The gel is removed and the teeth are rinsed. This process is usually repeated for a total of three applications.
At the end of the treatment, the teeth are given a fluoride application activated by the laser.
The above process is completed in approx an hour or so.
AFTER CARE
After the laser tooth whitening procedure – the dentist will supply you with a maintenance gel – this is used in the evening after the teeth have been brushed and flossed. The maintenance gel is used for up to 10 days.

If you are considering whitening your teeth, there are many things to think about. Is diy teeth whitening a valid option? Well lets take a look at the different methods available. Do-it-yourself teeth whitening can be divided into two groups: First, the home remedy type methods or you could say the “mix it at home” methods. And second, the commercial kits bought at the pharmacy and used at home without any assistance. The home remedies:There are quite a few “home” teeth whitening ideas running around. The use of baking soda as a tooth paste is very old. It was used as the “paste” itself or added to the regular tooth paste. This method has its drawback because of the abrasion it will do to the teeth enamel over time and is not usually recommended. Other home solutions include the use of lemon juice, strawberries and other fruits. The idea is that the acid of lemons will bleach the teeth. The success of these methods are nominal at best and it’s not good for teeth to be continually “soaked” in the acid. DIY commercial products:In the past there were tooth pastes sold and advertised with baking soda – but as said above this can be harmful. It seems that all the tooth paste companies have tooth whitening tooth paste now. This does help keep your teeth white but simply will not remove a lot of the stains. They are good for maintaining the brightness after a good whitening has been done. Even these should not be over used. The use of whitening strips was very popular for a while but don’t seem to be used much anymore.   The strips go over the teeth and need to remain for a long while so the bleaching agent can work on the teeth. They are hard to keep in place and very messy. Probably the method seen most often is the use of teeth trays and a peroxide mixture. The bleaching agent would be placed into the tray and the tray placed on the teeth. It would then need to remain in place so the whitening of the teeth could take place. Many problems can arise with this method as well depending on brand and usually the cost. Fact is if the tray does not fit closely to the teeth then it will give a poor result. The whitening will not be uniform usually leaving the the tip of the teeth very white and then the whiteness fades closer to the gum. There are some teeth that will not whiten. Certain antibiotics if given to children while their teeth are still forming will cause the teeth to be discolored and gray. Unfortunately there is nothing to do about this. Of course there is the option of total tooth replacement with caps to improve the appearance of even these darkened teeth. All of our teeth are different and the teeth whitening needed can be different to. DIY teeth whitening will work for some people and just flat will not for others.

My top front teeth are slightly yellowish (the same color as my other teeth) on top, but white at the bottom. I brush my teeth frequently and when I get them cleaned at the dentist, it’s still like this. I’ve never used any teeth whitening products, maybe just “whitening” toothpaste if anything. Did they just grow in that way? What causes that?

You can kind of see it in this picture (yes, I am aware that my teeth are crooked)

http://i854. photobucket. com/albums/ab110/sunset8949/teeth. jpg