These days, teeth whitening is clearly the leading cosmetic procedure within the dental industry. People are well aware that first impressions, be it a first date or a job interview, count and one of the things a person first notices upon meeting someone is their smile. A white clean smile can breed confidence and self image, and when you consider the fact it’s a quick and easy procedure to carry out it is easy to see why it has become so popular across all generations.

This procedure can also be considered a bleaching process. It can involve the use of at home remedies such as strips and specially designed toothpastes or can be done in your local dentist’s office with laser equipment. Depending on the procedure your out of pocket price can be anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred. In regards to an office visit for this procedure insurance companies may or may not cover it. At home tooth whitening remedies make use of hydrogen peroxide more often than not and in some cases carbamide peroxide. These agents are used to lighten the shades of an adult’s teeth.

So why do people choose to get their teeth whitened? As a person gets old, they start to lose the white colour of their youth as over time all teeth will start to darken. Coffee, tea, red wine, cigarettes etc all have an effect on both the enamel and colour of a tooth. Overtime, continued consumption can see teeth go from white to yellow to brown. Although tooth whitening may not be able to fix all related problems, it can enhance your smile dramatically.

There are a few things you should be aware of before you being this procedure. First of all it is purely superficial and the results and not permanent. If over you over-do the gel bleaching you run the risk of picking up chemical burns within your mouth, you also run the risk of a smile that is blinding white, as opposed to just white. Like with most things body related, over exposure can lead to immunity and over use can lead to reduced effects of bleaching as your enamel builds up resistance to the bleaching agents.

Overall, the tooth whitening process is recommended and if you follow the treatment up with good dental practices and hygiene the effects can be long lasting. Having the treatment implemented at the dentist will more than likely see a more permanent and effective set of white teeth, though that is not to say that a person cannot achieve a brilliant white smile with home whitening and good hygiene. In either case, be aware that a brilliant white smile will not be the result of one annual trip to the dentist.

The Smile Spa is a North East based dental practice whom specialise in cosmetic dentistry in Middlesbrough, Stockton and Teesside. As well as tooth whitening, they also offer other dental procedures such as dental implants, facial aesthetics and smile makeovers.