Because of the development of modern science and medicine, self-healing and self-medication have become good options for most people, especially on not-so-serious treatments or only involves oral or topical medication.
The same holds true for teeth whitening, which is an essential treatment to help people lighten the color of their teeth, remove stains, and treat it from unusual discoloration.
Whitening of the teeth is one of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures because it can greatly improve how one’s teeth will look. Most often, dentists perform tooth whitening, notes the Colgate website.
However, people should bear in mind that teeth whitening is not a one-time thing. It needs to be repeated from time to time especially if they are looking to maintain shiny white teeth and exude that bright smile.
Experts on their own right
In today’s times when nearly all information is available on the internet, even teeth whitening procedures are already found on the worldwide web.
Many people actually believe that they become experts in their own right once they read a topic on the internet and began to know more about it. However, merely reading a couple of articles on the internet, or even plenty, does not make one an expert on an issue, particularly on the sensitive issue of medicine and health care.
For one, many articles on the internet are published without reliable sources so it is important for the web surfers and readers to ensure first that they are reading something from a credible source or sources.
It is also important for readers to differentiate research articles from blogs since the latter is more about the personal opinions or experiences of internet writers and bloggers. Research articles, on the other hand, are based on a thorough study and analysis which have undergone thorough scrutiny.
The problem lies with the fact that even opinion-based articles on some websites come off as research articles so it is really up to the readers to discern or verify if what they just read or picked up on the internet is accurate. Otherwise, they shall be propagating a hoax, which is quite common on the internet these days given the free flow of information.
One sensitive issue that has plenty of information on the internet is teeth whitening. So it is very important for the readers or consumers to know and verify that what they are reading is accurate or not.
Often, readers check the internet for teeth whitening options for themselves or their loved ones. Given the abundance of teeth whitening products in local pharmacies, most people would rather focus on self-application rather than seek professional treatment.
Doing away with a professional to do the teeth whitening product would sure save them a good amount of money. However, they are actually taking a big risk which can cause damage to their teeth and gums.
Three experts were recently surveyed on what consumers should choose and they were actually unanimous in saying that professional whitening is always preferable compared to kits bought off the shelf.
Dr. Mark Hughes, Panasonic’s Smile Expert, said that the chemicals used to whiten one’s teeth are strictly regulated so the levels of those key ingredients in the products that are available in the market are very low. He said that this means that it has little or no effect at all even with regular application.
Dr. Zaki Kanaan, the owner of K2 Dental, explained that teeth whitening provided by a dental care professional are permitted to have the higher legal limit of 6% hydrogen peroxide. The trays supplied by most over-the-counter teeth whitening products are loose, with the risk of ingestion of the whitening gel.
Valuable commodities
Based on studies, smiles are valuable commodities. According to a survey by the American Academy of Cosmetics Dentistry, 99.7% of adults believe that a smile is an important social asset.