There are quite a few different methods for teeth whitening. The effectiveness of these methods to whiten teeth can vary. The three main choices are: getting it done professionally by a dentist, purchasing a kit from your dentist and doing it yourself at home, or using an over-the-counter product.

Teeth Whitening By The Dentist
Getting your teeth whitened professionally is probably the quickest way and also produces the best results. The two main methods used by dentists are laser whitening and mould bleaching.

Laser whitening involves bleaching your teeth with a bleaching agent or gel that contains a relatively high concentration of hydrogen peroxide. This gel can irritate the gums, so a rubber-like solution is painted on the gums for protection. After the whitening gel is applied, a laser light is used to activate the chemical reaction and initiate the bleaching process. The gel is left on for 15 to 20 minute intervals and the process usually takes about 1 hour. Sometimes it can require more than one visit to get the maximum results.

Mould bleaching involves your dentist creating a mould of your mouth and then filling the mould with a whitening gel. This method of treatment can be inconvenient because it takes a few days from the time your dentist first makes the mould to when you return so the dentist can use it to whiten your teeth. While this method is time consuming it is nevertheless very effective. The gel that is placed in the mould wraps around every groove of your teeth, thus giving comprehensive whitening results.

Take Home Kits for Teeth Whitening
Take home kits that are purchased from the dentist contain trays that have whitening gel applied, then the tray is placed in your mouth for about an hour. The gel contains a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide so it can stay in your mouth longer, sometimes overnight if required. The advantage of this method is that it is less costly than one or more visits to the dentist and you can do it in your own time.

Over The Counter Products For Teeth Whitening
The most inexpensive way is to use an over-the-counter product. These products contain lower concentrations of hydrogen peroxide than the take-home kits that you can purchase from the dentist. Such products include whitening strips, whitening toothpaste and whitening mouth-rinse. The effectiveness of these products is subject to much debate, and generally dentists will not recommend them.

Side Effects
Sensitivity to hot and cold is one of the side effects from whitening your teeth. This can be caused by the higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide found in the gel used by the dentist. Another side effect is gum irritation, usually caused by using the take-home or over-the-counter methods.

Results
As with most things, you get what you pay for, and the more expensive teeth whitening treatments, such as those provided by your dentist give a better result in a quicker time. However if money is a problem, acceptable results may be obtained by some of the take home and over-the-counter products.