Teeth whitening products and procedures are not new to us. The whitening toothpastes available in the market for years now promise a brighter, whiter, warmer smile to their customers. In the last few years, tooth whitening products have been witnessing a boom as the people have become more conscious of the way they look and smile.

Tray based tooth whitening procedures are very common among teeth whitening procedures. Tray based teeth whitening system consists of a tray, which is flexible enough to be fitted to the teeth of the person who is undergoing the treatment. The tray is designed to hold a bleaching agent closer to the teeth and for some period of time. There are two kinds of tray-based teeth whitening systems available. One is the dentist-assisted method and the other can be used at home by the person who is trying it.

Teeth whitening procedure is ideal for those who have healthy gums and unrestored teeth with no fillings. Yellowish tinted teeth respond very well to the teeth whitening procedures. There are many kinds of bleaching agents, which are used in the teeth whitening products. The most common whitening product recommended by dental professionals is a 10-20 percent carbamide peroxide solution since it is a viscous gel which clings to the teeth very well. Better results are achieved if the bleaching agent has good contact with the teeth. The duration of the tray to be worn by the patients depends on the desired level of bleaching required and the degree of staining. Even though it is considered to be an uncomfortable procedure, the results got are excellent.

Many over the counter tray whitening systems use hydrogen peroxide in the place of carbamide peroxide. Even though hydrogen peroxide is safer to use, bleaching is not achieved quickly as it takes several sessions a day continuously for several weeks to get the desired results.

The teeth whitening tray should fit the mouth and teeth size properly to get desired results. Since bleaching of artificial dental works like bonds, caps, bridges, fillings etc does not happen, the dentist will be the person to decide either to replace the artificial piece with the teeth of the same color after the whitening treatment or not.

It is good to be away from generic trays. Not only these trays cause several undesirable effects, but also do not fit the mouth properly. When the tray base whitening system does not fit the teeth properly, it will lead to swallowing of the bleaching gel or can cause injuries to the soft tissues of the mouth. Some trays may come with bleaching agents that are ineffective, or acidic or even toxic. Hence care should to be taken while using such products.

Before applying the whitening tray, it is good to clean, floss and brushes the teeth as the bleaching gel works very well and quickly if the teeth are clean. The teeth whitening tray can be used while sleeping to get a maximum effect. If it's applied during daytime, it hinders the speech.