Teeth whitening was at one time reserved to a dentist's practice. Limited time, high costs, and often a fear of the dentists, used to be an obstacle to some. Even so, with the increased need and desire for whiter teeth, the answer is home whitening kits.

For some, home whitening often means using homemade methods. Salt, baking soda, orange peel, walnut bark, and strawberries - all of those have in there time been rumored as tried-and-tested whitening agents attempted at home.

Increasingly, those that desire whiter teeth are opting for the new selection of tooth whitening toothpaste. In most cases, these do not actually whiten the teeth but eliminate surface stains, therefore offering a brighter smile. Such pastes often take advantage of abrasives to polish the tooth enamel, or use chalk and silica (calcium carbonate) to clear up those stains.

A lot, however, want a professional result. The answer to that presents itself in the shape of home remedy whitening systems. These outfits offer the same products used in a dentist's practice, namely caustic bleaching agent, carbamide peroxide - in low focused formulations. The effectiveness of these home gels is likely to vary at between 15% and 32%; this is the equivalent level to a professional.

Trays are often used, gel is applied and then that tray is placed onto the teeth, often to be left in place for 25 minutes. In some home kits, a light activator can be used. The best whitening trays are often custom-made and ordered from a lab, but that can be rather costly.

A more popular choice tends to be the Thermo-foam moldable trays, whereby a tray is inserted in warm water to allow it to soften, and a bite impression can then be taken of the teeth. As it solidifies once more, it can used as a tailored fit to apply the gel.