Whitening strips can be purchases at any pharmacy and even department stores. They are designed to be used at home. They contain flexible strips that adhere to the surface of the teeth. You only apply them to the teeth that show when you smile. They can be worn for the time specified in the directions because the carbamide peroxide is half the strength that is found in bleaching trays. There are even whitening strips that can be worn overnight.

Compared to bleaching techniques performed by a dentist, these whitening strips take longer to achieve optimum results. If you apply it over the specified days and follow the exact method of application as outlined in the directions, you will start to notice your teeth begin to whiten. Some people use the strips for a two week period while other have to use a couple of boxes to see the results.

Because whitening strips do not have the same strength as having your teeth professionally whitened, you will not get as good results. The results are good for whitening strips but not as good as whitening performed by a dentist and it does not last as long as a professional treatment.

Dentists will often use laser teeth whitening techniques to whiten a patient's teeth.

A laser whitening gel is applied to the teeth. This whitening gel contains a greater concentration of a bleaching agent than over the counter whitening products. The gel is applied to the teeth for about twenty five minutes. After the whitening gel has been applied, the dentist uses a laser to pierce the teeth enamel. The procedure is deigned to bleach the patient's teeth. The results can be seen immediately after completion of the procedure. Laser teeth whitening can whiten teeth up to 8 shades.

Laser teeth whitening can take about one to two hours to perform. Any side effects that have been reported were mild sensitivity of the gums which goes away after a day or two. Laser teeth whitening have shown to be a proven quick, safe, and effective method of whitening one's teeth. The results are much more noticeable than whitening strips.

Costs of laser teeth whitening are more expensive than buying a box of whitening strips, but the results make it worth the money. For laser whitening performed by a dentist, you can pay a few hundred dollars or more than a thousand.

Because of the ingredients in our foods, and our lifestyle habit such as smoking, drinking coffee and dark cola products, it does not take long for stains to build up on our teeth. Yellowed teeth are very unattractive and can result in people feeling insecure about their smile. Fortunately, there are a number of different methods of whitening one's teeth that people can use. If you want whitening results in an hour or two that will last a long time, whitening procedures performed by dentists are the right choice. Before you try any product, you should consult with a dentist for a personal recommendation on which method would be best for your situation.