Teeth Whitening Gels: 5 Questions To Help You Choose The Best One For You

There are a variety of types of teeth whitening gel kits that you can use at home. These kits are available in all price ranges, but the beauty of home kits is that home whitening treatments are often cheaper than professional whitening done by your dentist. You must keep in mind that the home whitening gels can be less effective and can even cause lasting damage if applied incorrectly. On the other hand, they can produce fabulous results at a low cost.

How Do I Select the Best Teeth Whitening Gel?

If you have decided that you want to try out teeth whitening at home, here are some questions you will need to ask yourself before selecting a product:

1. How much money am I willing to invest in the whitening gel kit?

Teeth whitening gels range from a little more than the cost of a tube of toothpaste to $200 or more. However, the whitening effects of the lower cost products might be able to produce the right amount of whiteness that you are looking for. The format of the product might be influenced by cost. For example, teeth whitening strips, such as Crest Whitestrips are cheaper than brush on gels such as the GoSMILE whitener. Also remember that once your teeth are white and bright, you will need to spend even more to maintain that new shine. This might mean having to buy maintenance and upkeep products from the teeth whitening gel line you used, or investing a little more in whitening toothpastes.

2. How much time am I willing to invest in getting my teeth their whitest?

Each teeth whitening gel kit will tell you how long it will take to achieve the results that you desire. With most kits you should start to see results in just a few days. But to achieve the final results could take from 10 days to two weeks. So think about how long you are will to commit to a daily teeth-whitening routine. As mentioned before, there will be maintenance involved as well. Depending on the whitening gel kit you purchase, there might be specific recommendations for maintaining your new whites. Are you willing to stay on a maintenance schedule as long as necessary?

3. How soon do I want to see results?

As discussed above, each whitening gel kit will have its own specified time for producing results. So decide if you want or need to see results as soon as possible or if you can wait a little longer. If you have a large embarrassing stain on your front tooth you might want to get rid of it as quick as possible! Keep in mind that the faster the results are, the stronger the product is.

4. Do I have extensive staining on my teeth?

If you do have a lot of stains or extensive yellowing of your teeth, then you will need a stronger product and you might have to use it longer. You might even have to go through two or three kits to get your teeth their whitest!

5. Do I have sensitive teeth?

Home teeth whitening gel systems typically use a peroxide bleach based formula to induce whitening. First, it is important to follow the instructions explained provided with the kit in order to avoid unexpected results. Also, you want to be careful when using the teeth whitening formula because it can cause sensitivity in your teeth. If you have sensitive teeth, then you will definitely want to choose the least strong whitening gel. Of course this will mean it will take longer to achieve the whiteness you want if you cannot use stronger formulas. This might mean that you have to commit yourself to a kit that takes longer to whiten.

As you went through the questions above, did you see that they are all inter-related? You want to see results fast, but you have sensitive teeth and cannot use the stronger products. Or you have a small budget, but extensively stained teeth which will need more than one kit! Yes, the choice can be difficult. But in the end you will basically need to select what is the most important for you that will get the results you want. It might take extra effort to work on whitening your teeth a little harder, or even suffering through sensitivity that might be caused by stronger gels. Just think about your new smile and how that will make you feel! It is not easy, if it were then everyone would have bright, white smiles!

So remember to really think about what you want to accomplish before purchasing a teeth whitening gel. Careful thought can save you money, work more efficiently for you and give you the best result.