Question:
Which 'teeth'whitening' is best for you?
Answer:
Used to be, if you brushed and flossed, you were way ahead of the smile curve.
Today, it's a lot more complicated. There's a dizzying array of ways to whiten
your teeth, many with an unattractive price tag.
Regardless of the cost, tons of New Yorkers are biting — some, over and over
again. "We call them bleachaholics," says Dr. Jeff Golub-Evans, a cosmetic
dentist and owner of the SmileOasis on E. 71st St., about the women who return
three or four times a year to his "spa."
But despite the glitz and glimmer of even the swankiest dental spas, there are
no guarantees. Gray stains, for example, especially those from the drug
tetracycline, are impossible to remove. And some teeth, gray or not, will never
be white.
"Bleaching is not very predictable," says Dr. John Calamia, a professor and
director of esthetics in operative dentistry at the New York University Dental
Center. "Some teeth are thicker than others and permeability is different."
Worse yet, if teeth are weak, the procedure could actually harm them. "I reject
about 15% of patients," says Golub-Evans. "Not everybody is a candidate." And
unless you can prove that a nondazzling smile is hazardous to your health,
insurance won't pay. Whitening toothpastes and chewing gums can help to remove
a small amount of stains, but teeth won't get that dazzling shade unless you
make a serious bleaching effort.
Here's what you can expect for your money. But keep in mind that once your
teeth are whitened, they can be stained again in a matter of months by
nicotine, coffee, tea and red wine.
Peroxide With a Purpose:
Pros: Trays containing a peroxide solution and fitted to your mouth by your
dentist are safe and inexpensive, and the doctor can control how white your
teeth get. Some practitioners, like Calamia, bleach with trays while you sit in
the office for about an hour. The ones you take home must be worn overnight or
for a couple of hours a day for a week or longer, depending on your stains.
They do the same thing as an in-office tray, only with a weaker solution so
that leaked bleach won't harm your gums. Cons: Do you trust your
self-discipline? Since it's up to you to wear the tray regularly, "most of the
time, compliance is a problem," says Golub-Evans.
Cost: $200-plus for office bleaching and $300-plus for a 21-day supply of home
bleach.
Lights 'n' Lasers:
Pros: Administered by dentists, lamps and lasers are, for the most part, quick
and safe. A laser or light from a lamp activates the whitening material. Most
dentists' offices are equipped with laser machines; Golub-Evans uses a lamp
called "Zoom!"
Cons: Not many. Occasionally, if the bleaching material comes in contact with
gums, it can sting. The dentist will flush it out, however, and within a few
minutes it goes away. In general, neither hurts, though teeth could be
sensitive for a few days. Cost: $500-plus for one visit, which is usually
sufficient.
The Coverup:
Pros: Porcelain or composite (resin and ceramic) veneers, which are bonded
directly to your teeth, are the perfect solution for teeth that cannot be
bleached. A composite veneer lasts about five years, while porcelain, a
relatively new technique, has been shown to last for more than 20, so far.
Cons: Porcelain veneers will cost you as much as a car, though they'll be
around longer. As Dr. Lana Rozenberg, owner of a dental day spa on W. 54th St.,
points out, "These are permanent. You can't change your mind once you've had
them done." Porcelain won't ever stain, but composite veneers, which are
reversible, need to be maintained with cleaning every six months or so.
Composite veneers can be done in one sitting (porcelain veneers must be fitted,
then made in a laboratory), and cost about half as much as a porcelain job.
Cost: $500-plus for porcelain, about $250-plus for composite, per tooth.
Cheap Trick:
Pros: Crest Whitestrips are the cheapest whitening solution and the most
popular home option, but not as effective as laser or peroxide treatments. Your
dentist can prescribe Crest strips in a stronger and pricier (around $75) form.
You stick the Whitestrips onto your teeth for about 45 minutes, then remove
them and brush off the excess material.
Cons: Whitestrips can slip, reducing effectiveness. And very few at-home
methods have been approved yet by the American Dental Association, points out
Dr. Kimberly Harms, consumer adviser for the ADA.
Cost: $44 (over the counter) to $75 (from your dentist) for one box of
Whitestrips.
Whitestrips are *phenomenal.* I think dentists must be behind all these
recent articles on "the many methods of teeth bleaching." My
Whitestrips results are just as good as my sister's peroxide-tray
results, and for about 7% of the cost. But you certainly won't see this
kind of comment in these articles!
