Rise and shine: how to keep your teeth white and young.

For many years, people with yellow teeth were discouraged to smile. However, now there is a new light of hope for them: teeth bleaching.

The procedure, more commonly known as teeth whitening, is very safe and common today. Methods to make them as white as snow vary from domestic methods that yield dubious results (usage of baking soda comes to mind) to home applications of bleaching agent and professional solutions, like laser bleaching, that can bring you good results in around an hour.

Pros and cons of each method

Baking soda

Pros:

• Incredibly inexpensive.
• Can be used as a maintenance agent.

Cons:

• Efficiency is only moderate: this method will not remove deep stains from your teeth.
• You’re very likely to get the results wrong, and doing so can make the enamel (the “hard” part of your teeth) more sensitive to fractures, damaging it permanently.

Home Application of Teeth Whitening AgentPros:

• More efficient than baking soda. It is more likely you’ll have whiter teeth, and it’s easier to get it right, too.
• May give results from a period to several hours to a few days.

Cons:

• Can slightly damage the enamel, even if done right. To avoid this use a safe and gentle tooth whitener.
• It is still less effective than going to a doctor.
• Tray used to whiten teeth is not custom to each person, so results may vary. Some products allow you to apply a gel directly to the teeth, avoiding this problem.

Laser ProcedurePros:

• Very effective – sometimes yields results in just one session, in an hour.
• Tray used to whiten teeth is custom-made, which means results are also more uniform along teeth.

Cons:

• Very expensive – a typical session may cost around $ 1000
• Burnings in tongue and lips are normal in some methods. They go away after a few days.

Conclusion There are many methods to choose from, and this article is not an all-in-one answer, it is a starting guide. Remember that either way you choose, your teeth are very special, and you should treat them with care and love after all, they’re like a big family: they stay with you for a lifetime.