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Dalvin Rumsey -- Teeth whitening has become the most common form of cosmetic dentistry performed.

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Everywhere you go, and in whatever you do, a beautiful smile is always essential. But a beautiful smile means beautiful teeth, and beautiful teeth means, of course, white shiny teeth.

A bright white smile says "healthy" and, admit it, people with beautiful white teeth somehow even look happier. A whiter smile can make a person more confident and outgoing in social situations.

Unfortunately most of us don't have the whitest smile that we could have. If you like coffee, red wine, and cigarettes, you surely have a problem with the color of your teeth.

Teeth whitening has become the most common form of cosmetic dentistry performed.

You will surely say, of course, that this procedure costs a lot of money. It's not really like that. It's a very simple and fairly inexpensive way to greatly improve your smile. There are several ways to whiten your teeth depending on the amount of money you want to spend, and your level of patience. You can choose from:

-- tooth whitening gels and whitening toothpaste;
-- bleaching strips;
-- bleaching gel with a fitted mouth tray; or
-- laser teeth whitening.

Laser teeth whitening is sometimes called in-office bleaching. Of all these different types of alternatives, laser teeth whitening is the fastest way to a white smile. It's also the most expensive. A one hour teeth whitening session generally runs around $600.00.

To understand why laser tooth whitening is the best procedure on the market and so far the most expensive, you must know how it works: the basic ingredient in every whitening product is hydrogen peroxide.

The difference in cost depends on the quantity contained in every product; the higher the amount of hydrogen peroxide, the faster the tooth whitening will take place. As you may have already guessed, laser teeth whitening uses the largest amount. Here is how the process works:

-- The dentist applies a bleach solvent containing hydrogen peroxide to the teeth.

-- Once the bleach is on the teeth the teeth are subjected to a light source, usually a laser. This laser activates the hydrogen peroxide.

-- This application is left on your teeth for twenty minutes. This process is then repeated two more times before you are done.

There is also a catch with teeth whitening: it doesn't last forever. In this case the goal is beautiful white shiny teeth that last for a long time. How long depends entirely of you. Avoiding dark colored drinks and not smoking will help you enjoy the results longer.

Find out more about Cosmetic Dentistry and Teeth Whitening by visiting Dalvin's site, Cosmetic Dentistry.

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