The gray issues of a whiter smile

The online ads are about as ubiquitous as social-networking friend requests, urging you to banish those dingy-looking teeth by whitening them with this or that system.

Though teeth whitening has been around for decades, the craze picked up steam in 2001, with introduction in the United States of the first mass-marketed, do-it-yourself whitening strips. The number and types of products mushroomed, as did online and storefront providers of both products and services. Dentists, too, got in the act, with plenty promising to bleach your teeth. Costs ranged from a few dollars to more than a thousand.

But is whitening worth it? Maybe. Questions remain about its safety, especially if a dentist is not involved. And there's a secret that many people might not realize: A simple cleaning at the dentist's office can do plenty to perk up your smile.

FIRST, A DENTAL VISIT

That may be all you need, said Dr. Ron Rosen of Restorative & Implant Dentistry of Long Island in East Meadow. "Whitening shouldn't be done unless everything else is in good shape," he said. And even then, patients should watch out for overblown expectations.

"For the right patient with the right problem, it's perfectly appropriate," Rosen said. "But it's not all it's cracked up to be. They [people] think their treated teeth are going to sparkle and look like the photographs they see in magazines, which have been airbrushed and touched up. They think there won't be any negative impact on the teeth themselves, and that they'll do it once and it's going to last."

In reality, he said, "it's not like, 'I think I'll try a new color lipstick.' "

YOU HAVE OPTIONS

What to do? If a simple dental examination and cleaning don't whiten your teeth to your liking, options exist:

A dentist can attempt to bleach your teeth.

A dentist can give you a prescription for a product to use at home.

You can buy a product over-the-counter or online.

If you go the nonprescription route, be aware that it'll take longer to bleach your teeth because the whitening product won't be as strong, said Dr. Mary Truhlar, who chairs the general dentistry department at Stony Brook Health Sciences Center's School of Dental Medicine.

HOW IT WORKS

To try to whiten teeth, a dentist typically will apply a substance to the teeth - such as an agent that includes hydrogen peroxide - while taking care to make sure sensitive gums are not chemically burned. Some dentists use lasers to quicken the process.

The American Dental Association says that, on average, people seeking "maximum whitening" make three visits to a dentist for the process.

Tooth whitening can cause etching of porcelain crowns and can affect the surfaces of dental restorations. Truhlar said research suggests that most effects are temporary. But, she said, they can build on each other if people have multiple treatments, depending on the technique used and the strength of the whitening product.

DON'T FORGET THE RISKS

The American Dental Association says that teeth bleaching is "relatively safe," although side effects can include overly sensitive teeth. However, the association warns that "concerns have remained about the long-term safety of unsupervised bleaching procedures."

Also, it says that questions remain about the safety of teeth whitening for children, teens and pregnant women.

A WHITENING TEST

Who wouldn't want noticeably whiter teeth in just two hours, with radiant results lasting for three months? Crest Whitestrips is now offering just that, with the newest member of its whitening family: Crest 3D White 2-Hour Express Whitestrips.

While going about our day in the office, a colleague and I decided to put these sticky strips to the test.

So off to the store I went, excited by the prospect of having a whiter and brighter smile by the end of the day. I was surprised when I saw the price: $55.99 for a kit containing four treatments (eight strips), or a year's worth of whitening. The results were more disappointing than dramatic. The "eh" rather than the "ah!" My colleague and I smiled in the mirror, expecting to see whiteness radiating from our mouths. Instead, our smiles quickly turned to frowns. A closer inspection of our teeth revealed the following: a slight (and I mean slight) change in our four front teeth, and zero change on the bottom choppers. To sum it up, the whitestrips did just next to nada.

This is not to say that 2-Hour Express whitestrips are ineffective, but rather that people may or may not see results. If used properly, over-the-counter whitening strips such as these can certainly be effective, said Dr. Gary Alex of Cosmetic & Prosthetic Dentistry in Huntington. However, there is definitely no guarantee because the success depends on the individual and his or her dental health.

Alex said "there are a lot of variables that make a person either a good or bad candidate for whitening," and so, whitestrip results vary from person to person. For example, people with pre-existing dental work on their front teeth, such as fillings or crowns, are not great candidates for whitestrips. On the other hand, individuals with teeth stained by cigarettes or coffee can be very good candidates. Alex also added that "yellow teeth tend to whiten up better than teeth on the grayer side."

On Crest's end, customer feedback has been "phenomenal," said Alissa Fitzgibbons, Procter & Gamble spokeswoman on behalf of Crest 3D White. "Customers are saying that they are getting what they expect to get and are pleased that they don't have to spend something like $600 at the dentist's office for a whiter smile," she said.

Both Alex and Fitzgibbons agree that a more detailed regimen is necessary if one wishes to see better results, as opposed to this "quick fix" approach, which may be appealing to someone trying to lighten their smile before a special date.