by Marcy Kennedy

Created on: November 03, 2008

A white smile can take years off your appearance and instill confidence, but what's the best way to go about whitening your teeth? Take a look at your options from least to most effective.

The most common, least expensive, and least effective tooth whitening product is whitening toothpaste. Despite its name, whitening toothpaste doesn't contain a bleaching substance and, consequently, can only remove surface stains. The mild abrasives, polishing agents, and other chemical substances in whitening toothpastes will lighten your teeth, but only by about one shade.

You can achieve more effective home teeth whitening by using a whitening gel or strip. Both ways of whitening teeth require 14 days, with gel costing approximately $15 to $25 and strips anywhere from $10 to $55. Both sustain results for four months so the deciding factor will be which method of application you find easiest. If you choose gel, you'll need to use a small brush to paint the product on dry teeth once or twice a day, depending on the specific brand. If you choose strips, you'll line your teeth with the thin, transparent pieces twice a day for 30 minutes each time.

Tray-based tooth whitening is a more time intensive method where you wear a mouth guard filled with a peroxide bleaching agent for anywhere from a couple of hours to overnight. The process takes at least four weeks, and you can either use an over-the-counter application or buy the product from your dentist. You can also have your dentist take an impression of your teeth and build a custom tray for your mouth. Unlike the one-size-fits-all trays that come from the pharmacy, a custom-made tray will provide the best contact with your teeth and the best protection for your gums.

Although you can whiten your teeth on your own, you will receive better, longer lasting results from dentist tooth whitening. The major benefit of dentist-supervised whitening-whether with a bleaching gel or laser tooth whitening-over the other methods is that your dentist will give you a full examination before beginning any treatment. This allows him or her to develop theories on how your teeth originally became stained, what methods and products will best whiten your teeth, and if you're even a viable candidate for tooth whitening. Moreover, your dentist will also be able to protect your gums and oral cavity from damage in a way that you can't duplicate on your own. In the end, because your dentist will use the most appropriate method and stronger products than you can obtain, your teeth will be three to six shades lighter. The drawback to dentist whitening is, of course, price. On average, full-mouth whitening costs $1000.

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