The most difficult to bleach teeth are the dark blue, green, brown stains. These types of stains are usually caused by medication. You can get the best stain fighting results from the yellow slightly brown colored teeth.

Depending upon the type of teeth whitening you receive—results can be seen within an hour to sometimes a week. However, the entire process can take from one week to several months depending on where the stains have originated. If the tooth is really difficult to bleach, the process can actually take up to three years and sometimes longer (and this generally depends on the person and how they maintain their teeth).

The Risks of Bleaching

The side effects of teeth whitening bleaching can be from tenderness in the soft tissue areas, such as the gums and tongue areas, and possibly pain. It is also possible to over-bleach the teeth—when this happens, the tooth will have a translucent effect and appear slightly gray in the light.

In regards to home bleaching, there is just a small risk of ingesting the bleaching gel and in worst cases can cause you to vomit, have nausea and a burning sensation in which you would need to call a doctor immediately.

Teeth whitening bleaching gel can remain unrefrigerated for up to 1 year and 2 years refrigerator.

Does Bleaching Cause Cancer?

In regards to some reports stating that there is a link between teeth bleaching and cancer, the American Dental Association has proved that the teeth bleaching and cancer findings are incorrect. The ADA states, “carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide chemicals generated in the whitening process aren’t carcinogens in the mouth”. The ADA has gone on to monitor the effects of bleaching a little over a decade. The ADA had to make sure that teeth whitening was defined and categorized properly to avoid any confusion.

Other Methods of Whitening

Teeth whitening can happen in one or two ways. You can achieve whitening by bleaching the tooth, which actually changes the overall color of the tooth; or you can use non-bleaching products, which contains certain ingredients that help to remove stains.

Overall in my findings, I have come to the conclusion that bleaching is safe as long as applied correctly and not over-used in one application. Some people may be more sensitive than others to the bleaching agents.

Professional Treatments

The teeth whitening cost for professional services can vary from dentist to dentist as the value of such treatment is very subjective. If the dentist feels that their treatment should have an at-home follow-up method completed, then the cost will be much higher. Dentists provide laser services, bleaching treatments, porcelain veneers, and at home products. These services can range from $400 to $1,500 where the at home products are the least expensive and the laser/veneer options being the most expensive.

If a staff member performs the majority of this treatment, then the cost will be at the low end. Also—depending upon equipment that is used, such as the laser lighting and the degree of whitening needed, these factors can make the cost of the service increase. If there is much competition in your area—the costs can pretty much fluctuate. Dental financing is usually provided for this type of service, however, many employer benefits will not cover this cosmetic procedure.

Home Treatments

Teeth whitening cost for over the counter treatments can range from $1.00 to $100 depending on the product. There are a variety of products, which can include brush on whiteners, whitening toothpaste, whitening floss, toothpaste with abrasives, toothpaste with peroxide, chewing gum, baking soda and whitening strips.

An at home remedy utilizing baking soda can cost you around $2.00.

Whitening strips range from $10 to $80 and must be used regularly in order to see good results.

Baby boomers and “30 something’s” are finding it more difficult to keep their teeth white and are looking for lower costing alternatives considering the economy and unemployment rates increasing, however, people still want a quality product and effective treatment.

You can get very economical products over the counter if you are trying to cut costs, but many of these products do not work. If you want an effective low cost treatment without having to risk paying too much, you can go to http://www.idolwhite.com for a free trial of Idol White and try it out for yourself. There is no financial risk involved and you have the chance to try out a wonderful product in the convenience of your home. This home treatment does work. You can see for yourself—all you have to do is carefully follow the directions and you will have white teeth in no time.

If you are someone who has to be in front of people the majority of time, you don’t want your yellow teeth to make the first impression. Having discolored teeth can make it difficult to smile, which in turn can contribute to low self-esteem.

Sometimes people, in their school years, may have not had a problem with whitening of teeth at that time—but it is possible that they dealt with an over-bite, extra teeth, an under-bite, braces, a head gear, and so on. These issues do not make it any better when that person gets older and has to deal with discolored teeth. Those feelings of insecurity have a high potential of creeping back.

What Causes Discolouration of Teeth?

Lets look over some of the reasons why we get discoloration of teeth in the first place.

Age – Your teeth go through some wear and tear over the years as well as stain buildup.
If you are teenager who has slight discoloration, teeth whitening can occur immediately since there should be no excessive buildup at that point. Teeth have the potential of showing some slight yellow discoloration for people in their twenties. It can go from yellow to brown while you are in your forties and then after that, stains can be increasingly difficult to remove.

Intrinsic Stain – Stains that form from the inside of your teeth. This type of stain can be a result of exposure to tretracyline, trauma, age, and ingested fluoride.

Extrinsic Stain- These stains are superficial and can come from tobacco products, dark colored beverages, such as, coffee and tea, and just normal wear and tear. These stains are not as hard to remove, but if left untreated, it can result in it becoming deeply embedded in the enamel of the tooth.

Starting Color – This color can range from a yellow brown color to a green grey and it deepens over time. We all are born with this. The yellow brown color better responds with bleaching treatments.

Eating Habits – Some foods over a period of time can cause your teeth to stain. The colors of these foods range from dark brown to red. Dark colored beverages, such as cola, teas, and coffee can produce a great amount of staining. Other types of foods that can cause stains over a course of time would be red wine, carrots, and oranges.

Smoking – The nicotine in tobacco products can cause an intrinsic stain.

Grinding – Which can be caused by stress will produce cracks in the teeth that can cause dark staining.

The embarrassment of many of these stain-causing agents can be avoided by using Idol White. You can sample the product and utilize a free trial at http://www.idolwhite.com. Don’t risk any money on procedures that may not work and don’t be ashamed to smile anymore.

However, teeth whitening is never permanent—not even for professionally made veneers. You are going to have to change things up with your lifestyle in order to maintain this look.

What You Eat and Drink

Limiting your intake on beverages such as, coffee, tea, red wine, or anything that has a stain causing effect will help to reduce discoloration. Drinking these drinks through a straw can reduce the amount of exposure.

As soon as you are finished eating, it is important to brush your teeth. Brushing your teeth will help to remove any stain causing particles that are still left behind.

Here is a little trick you can do at home. Get some strawberries from the store (pureed does this best) and rub it all over your teeth. Strawberries have an enzyme that acts like a teeth whitener. After this, you need to brush and rinse thoroughly to avoid leaving sugar particles behind.

Eating crunchy vegetables and fruits such as, apples, carrots, celery, and broccoli act as a natural plaque remover.

Other Homemade Maintenance Remedies

There are two homemade maintenance remedies that taste horrible, but work very effectively for obtaining great teeth whitening results. Everyone has probably heard of baking soda and it’s whitening or cleansing effects on your teeth. It helps to dip your toothbrush in baking soda right before you start brushing your teeth.

The other method is combining lemon juice with a teaspoon of salt. Mixing these two will create a paste that you can brush on your teeth. The salt acts like a scrub pad and the lemon juice will help to whiten your teeth. Another great homemade whitener is hydrogen peroxide, but be careful not to swallow any of it when brushing your teeth.

As you can see, maintenance is the key if you want to continue having pearly whites regardless of what method you choose. Choosing a different lifestyle can be challenging for most—but well worth it if your goal is to continue having white teeth.