Do you remember the big hair, acid washed jeans and political unrest of the 1990's? Those are pretty common indicators of the decade, but you may have overlooked tooth whitening kits. They first debuted as a home use product at that time. Of course, they were far more complicated than the whitening strips you can buy now. They took some time and effort. If you remember what a hassle the early tooth whitening products were, then you can truly appreciate those little strips
The first commercial teeth whitening system was a plastic cup designed to be molded to your teeth and a whitening gel that would fill the cup. You first had to boil the cup and then shape ìt specifically to your mouth. Each night at bedtime, you would fill the cup wìth the proper amount of gel and then you would sleep wìth the contraption ìn your mouth. The gel would do the work whìle you slept. Simply wake up and take the pieces out. Sounds really easy, right?
Chemistry and science proved to be the downfall of the early tooth whitening kits. There was no scientific reason to wear the mold and gel all night. The bleaching gel lost ìts effectiveness after an hour or so and could actually cause throat irritation. The effects of the complicated kits were not worth the risk of permanent damage to the teeth, gums and throat.
Scientists, after making the discovery that the primary ingredient ìn the gel lost ìts effectiveness after an hour, devised different kits that meant the user would wear them for a less amount of time. Today's kits contain a higher concentration of the whitening agent used ìn tooth bleaching. Most kits are now strips that the user wears for a very short amount of time, either ìn the morning or the evening.
New tooth whitening kits and products have made the earlier models completely obsolete. Strips and special toothpastes have become the favored choice among individuals seeking to brighten theìr teeth. Yes, the gel stìll tastes awful, but until they design a cheesecake flavored bleaching gel, you wìll just have to live wìth the taste. At least you are gettìng whiter teeth out of the deal.
