Many of the home teeth whitening products available today are a great value and can help give you the white and bright smile you desire. Be aware of these few points so that the product you order will actually do the job.

Although there are many products on the market today that claim to whiten stained teeth and remove discoloration, the reality is that the definition of "whiten" can mean anything from a single shade where you may not even notice the difference to a full teeth whitening make-over.

Your most effective home teeth whitening kit will have or use the following:

CARBAMIDE PEROXIDE - If a dental whitening system does not contain carbamide peroxide, you will not get the results you want in a timely manner. Carbamide peroxide is the whitening agent or active ingredient in most effective whitener gels.

Carbamide peroxide also comes in a variety of strengths from 10-22% with some as high in the lower 30% range. Although the higher the number, the more aggressive and stronger the product is, it also increases the risk of having sensitive teeth and discolored gums and soft tissue. A good product that also seems to be the most popular is the 16% area. This strength gives the speed we need to see faster results but at a safe level so as not to damage gums and teeth.

The AMOUNT of the gel product: This is where many people run into problems. All of us NATURALLY assume that more product the better, right? The problem however is that the amount of the product can be increased using a number of very cheap fillers and inactive ingredients. This means that more is needed to do the same job as a smaller amount of higher quality product. The key is to only buy from reputable companies and not simply look at the amount of the product offered. More product means less comfort while holding a mouthful of goo in your mouth while trying to use enough cheap gel to whiten your teeth. Ick! Get the good stuff and save yourself the hassle.

TEETH WHITENER TRAYS - For any whitening gel to work, it must be in contact with your teeth enamel. Tobacco stained teeth, or yellowed teeth need the gel product to touch the enamel to whiten and remove the staining.

Moldable trays come in two types. The first is similar to an athletic mouth guard where you heat it slightly in hot water then bite won leaving an impression of your teeth. This works and is effective but is not the most comfortable to place and hold in your mouth. If you're planning on keeping your teeth bright and stain free, you should consider the second type of bleaching tray.

This tray is a custom made teeth bleaching tray made from an impression of your mouth by a dental lab. Higher quality teeth bleaching kits provide material and instructions to make a mold of your teeth similar to the way a dentist might when creating a crown. The impressions are then sent to the lab where they make a custom fitted bleaching tray out of comfortable material. No worries because you can't mess it up. The process takes another step with the dental lab involved but the wait is well worth the effort.

In the end, the only way to make absolutely certain that you get the whitest teeth possible is to use high quality products.