Over the counter tooth whitening systems are a popular, effective and alternative option to the expensive professional whitening trays made at the dentist or at those much publicized whitening centers like Britesmile.

To be effective, bleaching gel cannot be used alone like whitening toothpaste but must be carried to the tooth surface by a medium which will allow the whitening gel to remain in contact with the tooth surface for at least 30 mins to overnight depending on the strength of the carbamide peroxide whitening gel. The different carbamide peroxide percentages will all whiten the teeth the same amount, but the higher percentages get you there a little quicker. There are 2 main avenues when deciding which tooth bleaching method to choose. One is professional tooth bleaching which requires visiting a dentist and the second is over the counter whitening i.e. buying it from a retail store or through the internet.

There are 2 kinds of At-home-tray whitening systems.

From moulds of your teeth which you make yourself, a custom-made bleaching tray is fabricated by a dental lab, which you use at home with a bleaching agent. This is similar to professional whitening trays made at the dentist but you don’t need to visit the dentist and it cost a fraction of the price! Turn around time is approx 4 weeks.

A boil and bite bleaching tray is made by you in minutes and used with bleaching gel. The boil & bite trays bypass having to wait for custom trays to be mailed but are a little more bulky and usually don’t fit as precise. You mold the trays against your teeth yourself after placing the thermoform trays in boiling water for a few mins to soften it.

There is also the Tray-less Whitening products which are the Crest Whitening Strips or a paint on gel like Colgate Simply White and Britesmile whitening pens. Crest whitening strips maybe a better option for those who don’t want to wear a tray. These strips are more difficult to keep in place especially on the lower teeth while the paint on whitening needs be kept dryish to adhere and prevent wash-out. The above dental products are available online at www.dentist.net

No matter which method you choose, how white your teeth will get depends on what color they are to begin with and the source of the discoloration. Brown or yellow teeth (often the result of superficial staining caused by smoking, coffee, and tea) will usually get whiter. Gray teeth (caused not by stains but by pigment deep inside the tooth) will lighten less, sometimes not at all. Results cannot be guaranteed. To determine the initial color of your teeth, compare them to a sheet of bright white computer paper held up to your mouth. The most common side effect of using any of these procedures is sensitivity to hot and cold, but that lasts only while you are using the bleach and tends to persist for 1-2 days afterwards. With proper aftercare, whitened teeth can stay bright for a few years. To keep your smile bright as long as possible, try these easy tips:

· Follow the white teeth diet. Drink white wine instead of red wine, cappuccino instead of espresso, and grapefruit juice instead of cranberry juice.

· Use whitening toothpaste containing a mild abrasive or peroxide (for example: Opalescence toothpaste, Supersmile , ZOOM Whitening Toothpaste and most of the over-the-counter "Whitening Toothpastes" on a daily basis.

Dentist.net’ carbamide peroxide bleaching gel comes in a larger 5 ml (5 cc) syringe offering much better value than the other syringe which are sold in syringe size of 1-3 ml(cc).Its not the number of whitening gel syringes but the size of the syringe that consumers need to consider before buying whitening gel. . Dentist.net bleaching gel is available in a 10%, 16% and 22% strength. Dentist.net recommends you visit your dentist before whitening to make sure that you don't have any cavities or any other limitations that would compromise your tooth whitening results. To reach Dentist.net please visit them online at www.dentist.net

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