More than ten million Americans will spend more than (an estimated) $2 billion on teeth whitening this year; it is a multi-billion dollar industry. Teeth whitening is by far the most popular cosmetic dental procedure in America, and sales of mail-order and over-the-counter products have increased dramatically.

But is having pearly white teeth truly possible? Is safe teeth whitening? Is it painful? What approach works the best? Does it work at home? These are all fairly frequent queries, and the usual responses are as follows: Of course, Not typically (arguably) Yes, bleaching.

There are several techniques that may be used to get whiter teeth, both at home and in your dentist's office (or professional teeth whitening facility). In fact, many dentists actually carry out the initial one or two procedures before outfitting you with everything you need to do the remainder at home. There are other routes you may take in your search for whiter teeth that include structural alterations to your teeth, such "bonding" and "porcelain veneers," but they are for the "bleaching" procedures.

The main objective of all bleach-based teeth whitening treatments is to deeply enter your tooth enamel and remove stains from there. Because dental enamel is porous, brushing and scouring solutions are ineffective, which is why bleach-based teeth whitening treatments are needed. The best techniques, as you can see, actually penetrate the tooth enamel deeply using bleaching agents. They start an oxidizing process that degrades the enamel's staining agents, leaving you with pearly white teeth. Although it seems straightforward, many items on the market fail to live up to their claims. While more professional treatments might give you drastic improvements in the whiteness of your teeth, most over-the-counter remedies only ever manage to lighten teeth somewhat.

A whitening toothpaste would be the entry-level teeth whitening solution. Some people have shown a minor improvement in brightness, but because you only brush your teeth for a short period of time, toothpaste is rarely able to penetrate deeply enough to make a significant difference. Some toothpastes actually contain very potent chemicals designed to act quickly (due to the brief period of time they are in contact with your teeth). However, these chemicals may actually act as an abrasive that will etch away the enamel rather than working to penetrate the enamel and oxidize or remove the stains.

We go on to whitening strips next. Whitening Strips are thin, flexible strips of plastic that have had a small layer of hydrogen peroxide bleach (about 6–10% strength) applied to one side. They are often required to be worn for 30 minutes (twice daily) for 7–14 days, pressing on the top and bottom teeth. They do work, but occasionally the results are blotchy and less appealing than expected since they can't reach all the crevices and gaps between teeth.

A more serious option is bleach-based teeth whitening, which involves injecting a "bleaching" solution into a tray that is put in your mouth (hydrogen peroxide). This process can be carried out at home, by your dentist, or both at the same time. Cheap 'boil and bite’ trays that are practically ready to use right out of the packet are available over the counter. The tray is boiled until it is hot and moldable, then you put it in your mouth and bite into it. The finished product is a usable, "partially" molded tray. This tray's flaw is that it won't fit tightly, which leads to variable results, and bleaching gel leaks into your mouth and gums. Smears on or around the gums can cause temporary (and possibly long-term) bleaching of the gums. Leaking bleach into the mouth is undesirable for obvious reasons.

A custom-fitting tray is provided as part of professional systems, which is necessary to ensure effective bleaching and reliable outcomes. There will almost certainly be less leaking into your mouth and gums if you use a bespoke tray. You may purchase custom-fitting trays from your dentist directly or from a number of online vendors that provide DIY custom tray kits. With this kind of procedure, all the materials required to create an imprint of your teeth so that a custom-fit stray may be manufactured for you are actually mailed to you.

Basically, you use the offered stuff to create your imprint, wrap it up in the pre-addressed envelope, and ship it. Within 2–7 business days, they'll give you bespoke bleaching trays that were made in an approved lab. just apply the gel to the tray and place it in your mouth for the advised amount of time.

The gel used in a teeth-whitening technique is its most crucial component. Without the proper teeth whitening gel, even if you have a costly custom-fitted tray (mouthpiece), you will spend much too much time with the tray in your mouth and/or your results won't be what you were hoping for. It is advisable to comprehend precisely what each whitening gel is built of and what it does in order to comprehend the distinctions between them and why they are thought to be the ideal tooth whitener.

Most gels contain hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, and some may include flavorings and fillers. In the tongue, carbamide peroxide really decomposes into hydrogen peroxide. The main whitener is hydrogen peroxide, the same substance that bleaches your hair.

The strength of the peroxide is what differentiates the majority of gels. These days, the majority of gels range from 15% to 22%, with some of the most popular being around 15%. How long you need to keep the tray in your mouth will obviously depend on the peroxide's strength, and tooth sensitivity might have a significant impact on this decision. Having said that, the length of time the teeth are exposed to the chemical—rather than the peroxide's strength—usually causes sensitivity in teeth.

Because of this, some individuals choose to choose a stronger option (like 22%) but utilize it for a shorter duration. Higher intensities, like 35%, are also available, although they are only advised for periodic 15–30 minute "bursts" of maintenance.

The use of porcelain veneers and bonding are further professional teeth whitening options. Both of them really alter the way your teeth are structured. In order to alter the color and contour of the teeth, bonding uses a composite resin that is molded onto the teeth.

Over time, the resin composition may discolor and chip. Bonding is often completed in a single dental visit and costs $300 to $700 per tooth. The shell-like facings known as porcelain veneers can be glued to discolored teeth. In addition to whitening, they are used to contour and/or lengthen teeth. Veneers cost between $700 and $1,200 per tooth and need at least two doctor appointments.