Butter teeth

Products help keep teeth whiter

By KELSEY BLACKWELL
UNIVERSITY JOURNAL

Bombarded by movie stars and singers exhibiting glowing smiles on TV, tooth whitening has become an increasingly popular procedure for those seeking a perfect grin.
LaRee Anderson, a senior psychology major from Centerville, said she has thought about altering the color of her teeth.
“It would be nice to have whiter teeth, but I’m not willing to pay a lot for it,” she said.
Currently on the market are several over-the-counter procedures that range in price from $15 to $45.
Crest Whitening strips are plastic stick-on tabs for teeth that are available at Cedar City stores. The strips should be used for 30 minutes twice daily for 14 days, the instructions say. Crest Whitening strips cost approximately $40 for a 14-day supply.
Paint-on whitening gel is a peroxide-based gel that sits on the teeth for 30 minutes twice daily for two weeks. Colgate Simply White offers a product for $15 for a 14-day supply.
Pre-made bleach tray kits are mouthpieces that come with bleaching solutions of varying strengths. Mouthpieces should be worn for 15 to 30 minutes per day for one to two weeks. Mentadent Tooth Whitening System offers a product between $19 and $23.
Portable peroxide capsules are available online. Similar to a paint-on gel, these pods should be applied to the teeth twice a day and be left on for 2 minutes according to an article in Self magazine.
Whitening can also can be performed by a dentist.
Cedar Valley Family Dentistry, located at 2202 N. Main St., provides a service for $260 for both top and bottom teeth or $130 for half. After applying bleach, teeth need to be touched up only once a year, said receptionist Mindy Smith.
The office of David J. Hadley, located at 415 N. Main St., offers teeth whitening mouth impression trays for $200 for full or $150 for half a month. Clients bleach teeth at home once or twice a week for two to three hours a day until desired whiteness is reached.
Another in-office whitening service is laser tooth

  

There are several options available for those wanting to whiten their teeth. Trays like this one are made by a dentist to fit tightly to one’s teeth. This custom fit tray costs $175, but less expensive treatments are available at grocery stores.
ELIZABETH MILLER / UNIVERSITY JOURNAL

whitening. In this procedure a dentist applies peroxide solution to every tooth and then activates the peroxide with a laser. The cost for this service is between $450 and $650, the magazine reported.
Less effective but inexpensive tooth whitening toothpaste’s can be bought over-the-counter at drug stores. Popular brands include Crest Rejuvenating Effects, Aquafresh Whitening Advanced Freshness Toothpaste and Jason Power Smile Whitening Toothpaste.
Rembrandt’s Intense Stain Removal Mouthwash is offered over-the-counter for $6 and has proven an effective tool in teeth brightening.
Johnson & Johnson Reach Whitening Floss and Supersmile Whitening Floss are effective for whitening the crevices of teeth that can be hard to reach with a toothbrush.