Using trays
Teeth whitening at home using bleaching trays will take longer than an in-office treatment, but will generally provide good results in the end. Home whitening kits can be available in stores, by mail order or online. Another option is to get customized bleaching trays from the dental clinic. The bleaching treatment itself is carried out at home, either at night or daytime. The result of a full treatment is normally similar to in-office treatments, but takes much longer and is less convenient.
Products from the Internet
When it comes to cheap regimes that you can order online you should be extra careful. It is not unusual that the preparations are directly harmful to your teeth.
Home whitening treatments generally come with slight or sometimes severe side effects. These may consist of gum damage or sensitivity to the extent that the treatment must be discontinued. Good advice is to always consult a dentist before initiating treatment, and make sure you use the best products possible.
Whitening toothpaste
A simple method for teeth whitening at home is toothpaste. Please keep in mind that toothpaste can never bleach inside the tooth enamel, only remove what is on the surface. Whitening toothpastes should contain active ingredients to safely remove surface stains without harmful abrasives.
Most commonly, whitening toothpastes contain abrasives that mechanically grind off surface stains. It is much cheaper to manufacture toothpaste with high abrasion instead of using effective active ingredients. Abrasive toothpastes should only be used temporarily, if ever, but most definitely not daily as that will harm the enamel.
Toothpastes containing oxidizing agents (hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide, calcium peroxide etc.) are generally not sold in the EU. In fact, oxidizing agents is not optimal for toothpastes and has very little effect due to the short exposure time. Carbamide peroxide for example, requires more than 20 minutes of exposure before it is even activated. We normally brush our teeth for 1-2 minutes which is not enough for any oxidizing agent to have relevant effect.
Whitening toothpastes containing enzymes, pyrophosphates, zinc citrate or other active ingredients that prevents discoloration can be very effective, both by removing plaque and stains and by preventing new discolorations from forming on the tooth surface.
Whitening strips
Whitening strips are strips coated with a mild oxidizing whitening gel. Unfortunately, the quality vary greatly depending on the manufacturer and is often reflected in the price. A majority of the strips available on the market show very poor results, and most brands are not pH neutral and will therefore damage the enamel. Sometimes the strips only cover parts of the visible teeth surface and they will not remove the stains from the teeth. In conclusion, whitening strips can possibly lead to uneven and patchy results.