An array of opportunities to brighten pearly whites
People’s teeth have been turning yellow, brown and gray ever since man started eating.
The process of discoloration is inevitable, but in recent years a new market has sprung up to combat it.
Toothpastes, strips, gels and even lasers are available to whiten teeth. Each option has its own cost and effectiveness and some take more time than others.
Dr. LeGrand Bingham, who owns a local family dentistry practice, said, “anything can stain your clothes can stain your teeth.” Those who are clumsy with food understand just how easily teeth can lose their pearly whiteness.
Bingham said the ability to whiten teeth varies from person to person depending on genetics, as well as the level of discoloration.
Yellow teeth are the easiest to correct and gray is the most difficult.
Teeth are like eyes; their coloring differs from person to person, but there are a long list of products available to change that color – specifically to make them more on the white side.
One product is whitening tooth paste, which usually costs just a few dollars.
According to the American Dental Association Web site, brushing of any kind removes plaque and causes the teeth to luster. The actual whitening ability of paste will vary from person to person. Bingham recommends using paste as a supplement along with other whitening techniques. Paste usually only helps retain whiteness, and at best may whiten only a little over a long period of time, he said.
For some, tooth paste may not provide the desired whitening, so another alternative is whitening strips. They’re a little more expensive – at around $20 – but they supply whitening more directly to the teeth. Crest whitening strips, for example, must be worn for half an hour a day, twice a day, for 14 consecutive days.
Ryan Lester, an undeclared sophomore, said he tried the strips, but used them inconsistently so he experienced insignificant whitening. For some, strips may be enough, but for others, it still may not be enough to reach the desired whitening.
Another option is take-home bleaching gels. These are available from both stores and the dentist, with prices ranging from around $10 to $50 or higher. Dentists make a custom tray for each patient’s mouth, which is then filled with a bleaching gel and should be inserted for about half an hour.
Sam Pond, a sophomore majoring in psychology, used a bleaching gel he bought from a store and witnessed a slight improvement.
“My old girlfriend had obsessive compulsive disorder, and she noticed,” Pond said.
For many, the above tactics might not be enough to significantly whiten their teeth. In that case, the last option would be the most expensive and also the fastest: the laser. Costing about $300, laser whitening is the speediest way to thoroughly whiten teeth. Patients at Bingham’s office are outfitted in a bib, mouthpiece and fluorescent orange glasses. After an orange bleaching gel is applied to the teeth, a laser is turned on and pointed at the mouth. The laser activates crystals in the gel, which then absorb into the pores of the teeth and bleach away the discoloration. The process takes about an hour, but movies are available to watch while waiting. Bingham said after this process, teeth are noticeably whiter and will continue to whiten for the next 24 hours.
For the most serious, dramatic whitening results, he said lasering followed by gel trays are the way to go.
-brjames@cc.usu.edu