With the myriad of teeth whitening products available, it is difficult to choose one. Let us take a look at teeth whitening trays. They are available either in the dentist office or over-the-counter. They are molded to the teeth, and then they are filled with a hydrogen peroxide containing gel. Finally, they are placed on the teeth where they will hold the peroxide to the teeth for a long period of time.
The most common over-the-counter whitening trays are Aquafresh White Trays. The gel in Aquafresh White Trays contains ten percent hydrogen peroxide.
In-office whitening gels can contain a higher percentage of hydrogen peroxide than their over-the-counter counterparts. In-office whitening trays are often given to the patient after a teeth whitening procedure (generally a laser teeth whitening procedure), and the patients are generally instructed to use them at home for a number of days to complete the whitening treatment.
Whitening trays have advantages over 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.
Whitening strips are not as effective as whitening trays in the sense that they do not get into the cracks and grooves in between the teeth, because they lay on of them. Whitening trays, because they use a gel, do get into these cracks.
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.
Whitening trays do definitely whiten the teeth well. They do not have the “zebra” effect that the strips do, because they get into the grooves in between the teeth. Whitening trays are the most thorough in this sense, second only to laser teeth whitening. Unfortunately, we cannot recommend them due to the difficulty in controlling where the hydrogen peroxide goes. Even though the product works well, it does not justify causing damage to the mouth.
Cody Scholberg, a recognized expert on whitening methods, writes about the different ways to whiten your teeth, such as laser whitening.
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