The Persuit of Perfection

People continue to push for the modern definition of success. That definition includes a hypersensitivity to the way we look and our general appearance. And white teeth simply look better and offer us a good measure of confidence. This is probably because we all know first impressions are extremely important. There is such a thing as love at first sight, and those all-important first impressions in a business environment are critical for long-term relationship success.

There are many things that make up a first impression. Your general appearance and posture although important are not generally what people notice first. The first thing people key into is your face. When your teeth are yellowed and discolored you run the risk of not making that all-important good first impression. This is because most people equate white teeth with being healthy and successful.

The bad news is that no matter how well we take care of our teeth, our lifestyles continue to make them dull and stained. Our eating and drinking habits during our day to day routine help to darken and stain tooth enamel. Some of that rich dark Starbucks coffee that you had this morning, continues to work to darken your teeth. Although people are more aware than ever about good dental hygiene, teeth will also become yellow simply as a result of the aging process.

Teeth whitening is rapidly becoming one of the most popular and sought after cosmetic treatments in the US. The demand for teeth whitening products continues to grow at over 25% a year. The demand for whiter teeth has resulted in three major categories of teeth whitening products and services available today

1. The first is over-the-counter remedies and products. These include toothpastes, mouth washes, white strips, white stripes, and almost everything found in your local drugstore or supermarket personal hygiene ailes.

2. The second is a wide array of home teeth whitening kits. These whitening solutions come complete with a supply of whitener gel stored in individual syringes and teeth bleaching trays. These kits can cost anywhere from a 50 to 150 dollars depending on the quality of the materials and compounds used.

3. The third option is a professional teeth whitening system. These teeth whitening systems are usually offered exclusively through local dentists and dental offices. The professional tooth whitening system delivers much faster results than home teeth whitener kits but are more costly.

Of the professional systems available today, many use a low intensity light to activate whitening gels and chemicals. Some also use laser or light enhanced products that are much more aggressive in their ability to quickly whiten your teeth. Professional teeth whitening typically delivers a noticeable difference in just one treatment.

Professional tooth whitening systems also are much better at lightening or removing the most stubborn stains and yellowing. Even almost impossible to remove tetracycline antibiotic stains can be lightened using the professional teeth whitening methods. As you may know, one of the side effects of tetracycline was that it made brown streaking stains on your teeth.

It's advisable that no matter which teeth whitening solution you choose, you need to first see your dentist. This is to make certain that your teeth and gums are healthy before starting any teeth whitening solution.

Many people elect to use a professional teeth whitening system to get their smile restored back to their original bright white shade. Then they simply use a home tooth whitening kit and other over-the-counter products to help maintain their new bright smile