The American Dental Association (ADA) recently asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop dental care classifications for the chemicals found in teeth whitening agents.

On November 20, the ADA expressed its concern that some whitening products may cause harm to teeth and gums when they are not applied by a dentist. The association said that some U.S. states are taking measures to prevent individuals from whitening their teeth unless the procedure is performed by a professional.

“The tremendous expansion of products available directly to consumers and application of products in venues such as shopping malls, cruise ships, and salons is troubling,” said Drs Ron Tankersley and Kathleen O’Loughlin of the ADA.

In addition to getting teeth whitened at the dentist or buying a kit to use at home, individuals can purchase whitening toothpastes. The ADA says such toothpastes may have results that will satisfy consumers if they brush twice a day and receive regular dental checkups and teeth cleanings. Some forms of discoloration cannot be remedied by teeth whitening procedures.

As I tell my patients, I perform in-office whitening but feel that custom made whitening tray will do a better job for a much longer period of time. Assuming all the chemicals used are safe, it comes done to the concentration and contact time of the whitening agent. Basically, all the whitening agents breakdown to hydrogen peroxide of differing strengths. A well fitting tray will hold the agents against the tooth the best and should never be worn more than an hour to prevent sensitivity. The trays can be used to get your teeth as light as possible and can be used for maintainance. I can’t vouch for any products sold in store but the major brands should work some if they are not abused.
Well made trays work the best so see you dentist and HAPPY WHITENING!

Generally speaking, all the bleaching materials are similar but have varying degrees of concentration. You can have your teeth bleached using Crest WhiteStrips, or have it done 10-20 times faster if you have trays done at the dentist. You will need multiple boxes of OTC (over the counter) bleaching material to match several days of in-home bleaching supplied by your dentist.
Bleaching products to avoid: bleaching lights, and bleaching pens and brushes.
Whitening toothpastes are designed to remove surface staining on teeth (coffee, tea, tobacco stains), and do not bleach you teeth.
Individuals with yellowed teeth have great results bleaching. It is more difficult to bleach grayed teeth, especially dark gray banding as a result of tetracycline use. For these patients I recommend veneering to cover the gray.
I hope this clears up some of your questions!

This is great,,, thanks for the guidance… I’m definately going to have an expert do it and not waste my time & $ on the store products. Thanks.