Whitening trays are a new form of teeth whitening which is available either over-the-counter or in the dentist’s office. The trays are molded to your teeth before use. Then, they are filled with a hydrogen peroxide containing gel, and the trays are then placed on your teeth. They work by holding the gel on your teeth for an extended period of time.

Over-the-counter teeth whitening trays are mostly limited to Aquafresh White Trays. The gel that comes in this product contains ten percent hydrogen peroxide.

Gels that users get at the dentist often contain more than ten percent hydrogen peroxide, making them more effective. The trays and gel are usually given to a patient after a laser teeth whitening treatment or other teeth whitening treatment in order to complete the finishing touches of the treatment.

The trays have both pros and cons over other teeth whitening products.

Whitening trays are better than whitening toothpastes, because the toothpastes do not contain the bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide, but instead contain only abrasive materials which are less effective.

They are superior to whitening mouthwashes because they hold the hydrogen peroxide on to the teeth for a much, much longer period of time than the mouthwashes.

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.

This will cause a bad taste to get into the mouth, and worse, burning of the surrounding tissue in the mouth. This can lead to tooth and gum sensitivity; however, this sensitivity usually subsides within twenty four to forty eight hours.

These trays will certainly whiten your teeth well, however. They do not leave spots out like the strips do; there is no “zebra” effect. If you are looking for a teeth whitening product that will be the most thorough, and you do not want to spend the money on a laser teeth whitening procedure, then white trays would be a good choice if it were not for their problem of easily burning mouth tissue. As it stands, they are not recommended for this reason.

Cody Scholberg, a recognized expert on white teeth, writes about ways to whiten your teeth, such as laser teeth whitening.