More and more people are going for teeth whitening treatment with many opting for do-it-yourself over the counter whitening products. This is because the cost of professional treatment at the dentist is expensive with charges of several hundred to several thousand dollars for complicated cases. Even the most basic form of treatment will require more than one session at the dentist.



Hence the popularity of cheap teeth whitening treatment products and the tremendous growth of this market segment. The range of products available for every budget is quite staggering and can be bewildering to someone just starting on this. The good news is that the more expensive a product is does not necessarily mean it is more effective since results are dependent on several factors.

Most important of all is the condition of your teeth. Some people have naturally yellow or gray teeth and contrary to popular belief and culture, teeth are not white. The natural color of teeth for most people is off white. Some people also have teeth that are more translucent by nature causing the inner layer of enamel to show, giving the appearance of a shade of gray.

The next factor that determines the level of success in whitening teeth is the type of stains or the amount of teeth stains. Severe teeth stains will most likely require professional teeth whitening and often several sessions to successfully remove stains.

If your teeth stains are moderate to light, you can consider using over the counter products. Some people see dramatic results after a few days while others take months. Generally speaking, it is much harder for those with naturally gray teeth to be whitened.

Among the most popular home teeth whitening products is whitening gel. This comes in many forms of packaging. Commonly though, the gel is used as part of a mixture squeezed onto a dental tray that is fitted over teeth for a certain length of time, depending on each product's formula. Some dental trays can be molded using hot water to make it pliable to fit teeth better so that the whitening gel comes into better contact with teeth surface to ensure the chemical reaction takes place.

Since this procedure can be a little messy and rather uncomfortable, some prefer the convenience of teeth whitening gel strips. However such strips are often difficult to keep in place as they get wet and slide out of position when the gel is diluted by saliva.

There are also teeth whitening pens that dispense gel like using a pen. The advantage of this is that the tip of the pen can get into hard to reach crevices and uneven surface to achieve better gel distribution. Plus it's handy to carry around so you can apply the gel on the go.

In addition, there are also other kinds of applicators such as cotton buds that contain the gel in the stem which let you do more precise gel application onto teeth.

Which ever type of product you choose, you need to manage your expectations of achieving whitened teeth and know that even if you manage to whiten teeth to your satisfaction, they will stain over time due to the food and drink.