Teeth get stained and discolor with age, a fact we all must deal with. Fortunately, we live in a day where there are more teeth whitening options available than ever before for those who are looking to whiten their teeth and brighten their smile.

Among the most popular teeth whitening options are home use products like whitening toothpastes, strips, and gels. They are very inexpensive, and as long as your teeth are only mildly stained or discolored, will yield some good results.

While many factors determine the effectiveness and ultimate results of any teeth whitening procedure, the most important one, obviously, is the severity of the staining and discoloration to begin with. As in all things, you get what you pay for, and the more expensive treatments generally yield the better results.

While costing less than professional whitening treatments, home whitening products are known to yield limited results at best. While they will provide some surface whitening to your teeth, they are unable to penetrate beneath the enamel and whiten the dentin underneath, where oftentimes there is significant discoloration.

One popular professional whitening procedure is tray whitening. This method employs a tray that has been fitted to the size and the shape of your mouth. It is filled with a whitening gel and placed on your teeth, where the peroxide in the whitener releases oxygen. The oxygen not only provides cleaning to the surface of your teeth, but it penetrates the enamel as well, whitening beneath the surface. This has proven to be an effective teeth whitening procedure.

Tray bleaching gives the best results with teeth that have yellowed with age. It doesn’t work as well with teeth that have become brown or gray. One potential side effect with tray bleaching is that it might cause some temporary teeth and gum sensitivity.

Teeth whitening costs vary significantly from product to product and from procedure to procedure, ranging from a few dollars for whitening toothpaste, up to hundreds of dollars for laser teeth whitening treatment. While home teeth whitening is the least expensive option, it is also the least effective one. For this reason, those who can afford to do so will often opt for professional treatment.

The best teeth whitening results are obtained with procedures carried out by your dentist. He will be employing the latest technology and using the most powerful whitening chemicals, more powerful than you will be able to purchase over-the-counter at the store, and therefore more effective as well. The major drawback is the cost, and since teeth whitening is considered to be undertaken for cosmetic purposes, most insurance companies will not pay for it.

Before making a final decision about which teeth whitening product or procedure is the right one for you, it is important to talk to your dentist about it. He or she will be able to discuss with you all of your options and the likely results of each one. Then you will be able to make an informed decision.