Tray Whitening

Tray whitening kits are typically used at home. Mouth trays and syringes full of peroxide come in each kit. You put the peroxide in the mouth tray and where it like a mouth guard for a predetermined amount of time,usually 2 weeks. Results are gradual over the treatment period to you reach the shade of whiteness you desire.

Tray kits used to be the only method available for teeth whitening reaching back to the early 1900's. Tray products began to lose their luster as the Light Emitting Diodes in dentist's offices and baking soda toothpastes arrived on the scene.

These whitening systems began to fall out of favor due to the commitment of wearing them everyday for 2 weeks plus. These trays can also be associated with discomfort, so many opt for the in-office visits with their dentist. Having it done in one hour as opposed to 2 weeks is usually an easy decision.

Tray whitening still has the luxury of controlling the shade that you desire, whereas office visits can be too light or not light enough requiring another visit. Tray kits are relatively cheap for someone on a budget as well. Any visit to someone with a PHD is going to cost you some coin. Tray kits also tend to have less chance of side effects.

You can buy a tray kit online or it can be prescribed by your doctor. Prescription mouth trays usually involve custom fit mouth trays. Custom fit will cut down on the amount of time the user must wear them thanks to the even contact of solution with your teeth. Your doctor takes an impression of your teeth, then will make molds to match. Some over-the-counter trays have a boil then bite feature like sports mouthguards, but it still isn't exact compared to what your doctor can give you. I would personally use the boil and bite ones over the stock one-size-fits-all approach.

The great advantage over trays at home is that the lightening is gradual. You can stop once you reach your goal effect. This can also lower the potential side effects, especially if you're very sensitive to the bleaches.

Hydrogen Peroxide is a strong whitening agent. It needs to be fresh to deliver its full effectiveness. Supervision is advised to apply it correctly.

Carbamide Peroxide is more user-friendly. It is considered the more shelf-stable version of the two, meaning it will last longer but it won't be as strong. It is still considered strong so caution must be exercised.

Quick Summary

• If you plan on taking your own molds for the trays, remember that although it is better than the stock ones, it still won't be what you get from a doctor. You want the best tooth to bleach contact.
• Teeth whitening can have side effects. It can cause pain or damage to your teeth and gums, especially if you do it all the time. You might need to receive a check-up from your dentist to see if your in good oral health for whitening trays.
• If you have sensitive teeth,i.e. react to hot or cold substances, you may want to choose kits with a lower peroxide concentration. Some kits are made specifically for people with sensitive teeth.
• Buy only reputable brands from the stores or on-line. If it isn't a brand that you have heard of, then you might want to do some homework. Look for reviews on-line for this particular brand. There are so many well known companies out there selling kits that there just isn't a reason to take a chance with some unheard of product. This industry isn't very regulated, so exercise proper judgement when deciding on a kit.