Hollywood smiles
Feature
Getting a dazzling Hollywood smile can be expensive, just ask Victoria Beckham. Reports claim she was so self-conscious about her teeth she forked out whopping £2,500 per tooth to get a dazzling white smile. The paparazzi camera flashes are now gleaming off her gnashers.
A Hollywood smile is a necessity for any celebrity, but it is also becoming something that everyone can aspire to. A bright, white smile and straight teeth are worth their weight in gold. Many normal people are donning orthodontic braces or having their teeth bleached a nicer shade of white. The good news is you don't have to spend £2,500 a tooth to get good results.
There are a number of teeth whitening methods available for you to choose from. These differ from each other in terms of both cost and effectiveness.
The cheapest and safest way to accomplish teeth whitening is through the help of over the counter products. Dental whitener kits consist of a mouthpiece, a bleaching agent and sometimes an applicator. This home teeth whitening procedure is carried out through filling the mouthpiece with the bleaching agent and wearing it overnight for a period of usually two weeks.
The results of the DIY home teeth whitening kits gradually improve over the treatment period. As some discolourations are more stubborn than others, the final results will vary from person to person. If you have a lot of yellow dentine showing through the white of you enamel, you may not achieve a perfectly dazzling white smile.
A formula that contains 15-16 per cent of carbamide peroxide is said to be the safest and most effective concentration.
Should you visit your dentist, you will be offered a similar but more effective whitening treatment. A mould will be taken of your teeth for a custom fitted mouth guard. This needs to be worn for a certain number of hours a day in a period of two weeks. A stronger concentration of carbamide peroxide will be used as a filler on your mouth guard. The setback of this system is its risk of teeth and gum sensitivity. But at £250, it is relatively less expensive than some of the newer and faster whitening treatments.
The fasted method of whitening is laser bleaching. This is quickly becoming the preferred bleaching method in cosmetic dentistry. A concentrated gel-based formula containing hydrogen peroxide is applied directly to the teeth while the gums are shielded with a protective coating. A rather uncomfortable guard holds the lips apart while a laser light accelerates the bleaching time by heating the gel.
In just 45 minutes, teeth are whitened by up to six shades. White teeth are guaranteed. The drawbacks of this procedure are the cost, at about £600, and temporarily sensitive teeth and gums.
With all whitening procedures the teeth are porous after bleaching. If you smoke, drink coloured liquids or consume foods within the recommended period, your teeth will discolour. If you are using a home bleaching kit and smoking, drinking red wine or eating a curry, you could end up with teeth that are more badly stained than you started.
MyVillage 21st October
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