Whitening trays are a new form of teeth whitening which is available either over-the-counter or in the dentist’s office. The trays are molded to your teeth before use. Then, they are filled with a hydrogen peroxide containing gel, and the trays are then placed on your teeth. They work by holding the gel on your teeth for an extended period of time.
The most common over-the-counter whitening trays are Aquafresh White Trays. The gel in Aquafresh White Trays contains ten percent hydrogen peroxide.
Gels that users get at the dentist often contain more than ten percent hydrogen peroxide, making them more effective. The trays and gel are usually given to a patient after a laser teeth whitening treatment or other teeth whitening treatment in order to complete the finishing touches of the treatment.
The trays have features both better and worse than other teeth whitening products.
They are superior to whitening toothpastes, because whitening toothpastes only contain abrasive materials and do not contain the bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide.
They are superior to whitening mouthwashes because they hold the hydrogen peroxide on to the teeth for a much, much longer period of time than the mouthwashes.
Whitening strips also have their weaknesses when compared to whitening trays. The strips cannot get in between the teeth into the grooves, since they lay on top of the teeth. However, the whitening trays do.
Unfortunately, whitening trays come with their share of problems, too. Since they are filled with a gel, the placement of the product is more difficult to control. It is easy to have some of the gel get spilled into the mouth in unwanted areas, and it is easy to touch the gel to the gums.
Gel spilling into the mouth will leave an unpleasant taste, but that is the least of your worries. It will cause burning, which will lead to tooth and gum sensitivity. This sensitivity, however, is not permanent, and it will usually subside within twenty four to forty eight hours.
While the whitening trays definitely work well (they do not give the “zebra” effect that a user experiences when using whitening strips, and whitening trays are the most thorough after laser teeth whitening), they cannot be recommended due to the inability to control where the gel goes and the resulting damage to tissue. Regardless how well a whitener works, it should not cause damage to the mouth.