Reality & Facts About Teeth Whitening Products

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You’ve seen the ads on TV and the internet for tooth-whitening products that promise a brighter, more beautiful smile. But just how effective are tooth whitening products?

How tooth whitening products work:

Tooth whiteners are products that make teeth appear whiter. There are two general classes of tooth whitening products:

• Bleaching products containing chemicals like peroxides that can remove both surface and deep stains and can change a tooth’s natural color.
• Non-bleaching products don’t contain bleach but do contain ingredients that act physically or chemically to remove stains on the surface of teeth.

Carbamide peroxide-containing whiteners:
Tooth-whitening products approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) include those with 10 percent carbamide peroxide. In water, this chemical breaks down to product hydrogen peroxide and urea. It’s the hydrogen peroxide that will bleach your teeth. Products with 10 percent carbamide peroxide may also include other ingredients like glycerin and flavoring agents. Clinical studies indicate that at a neutral pH, products containing 10 percent carbamide peroxide are safe and effective. Some side effects of these products include:

• Tooth sensitivity
• Occasional irritation of the inside cheeks and gums

Hydrogen peroxide-containing whiteners:
Some tooth whitening products are gels containing 15-35 percent hydrogen peroxide. The tooth whitening effects of these products can be enhanced using a light or laser system to obtain more immediate results. The gum tissues should be protected with a neutral gel or shield prior to using these products.

Side effects can include:

• Tooth sensitivity
• Occasional irritation of the inside of the mouth and gums
• Tooth damage (rarely)

Tray-based bleaching systems versus gels:
Peroxide-containing products are available as tray-based systems or as gels that can be applied using a brush or painted on. In tray-based systems, the tooth whitening gel is placed in a tray that fits over your teeth. While you wear the tray (for example, overnight), your teeth are bleached. Over-the-counter products provide one-sized-fits all trays that can cause non-uniform bleaching and possible irritation. A dentist can provide you with a custom-fitted tray for better results.

Over-the-counter paints and gels also can be applied non-uniformly (particularly when brushed or painted on). There may be more potential for irritation of the gums and inside of the mouth with these products, since over-the-counter tooth whitening products don’t tend to come with shields to protect these sensitive areas.

Whitening strips:
Whitening strips typically contain a thin coating of a peroxide gel. Whitening strips are usually applied for 30 minutes twice a day for about two weeks. Although they can produce visible whitening in a few days, strips whiten the surface of teeth and not the enamel between teeth, which can result in uneven whitening.

Whitening toothpastes:
Whitening toothpastes are not bleaching products. Those that bear the ADA Seal of Acceptance remove surface stains by polishing or by using chemicals to bind to the chemicals that cause staining. Whitening toothpastes don’t tend to be as effective as peroxide-containing products, but can be used as maintenance products after a bleaching procedure.

In-office treatment versus over-the-counter tooth whitening
Tooth whitening can be performed in-office by a cosmetic dentist or can be performed at home with an over-the-counter tooth whitening product.

There are advantages to professional treatment, including:

• More immediate results: A cosmetic dentist has access and the skill to use more concentrated bleaching products.
• Greater safety: A cosmetic dentist will be aware of your dental history and will take steps to protect your gums during the tooth whitening process.
• More uniform results: A cosmetic dentist will have the experience to apply a tooth whitening product uniformly for the best results.

Even if you choose an over-the-counter product, a cosmetic dentist will be able to tell you which product is right for you and advise you as to the safest procedures. If you are using a tray-based whitening system, a cosmetic dentist can provide you with a customized bleaching tray so that you can obtain more uniform whitening results.

Source: How Effective Are Tooth Whitening Products?

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Teeth Sensitivity And Dental Care: Treatments And Guideliness

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Many people feel very self conscious about their smile due to their discolored teeth. We all start out with pearly whites, but as we age, our teeth may start to become dull and discolored. There are certain things which can increase the amount of discoloration your teeth may have, such as:

• Tobacco use from smoking and chewing tobacco. This is typically the most common reason for stained teeth.

• Drinking coffee, tee, red wine and soda. Some fruit juices can also cause staining of teeth.

• Certain antibiotics, such as tetracycline can cause tooth discoloration.

• Amalgam or silver fillings can sometimes stain the surrounding tooth area.

Sensitivity After Whitening

Tooth whitening is becoming more and more popular as people find that they can have a bright smile they will be proud of. There are several options for tooth whitening, from over-the-counter products, to professional teeth whitening procedures. While these treatments are all typically pain free, some patients will suffer from tooth sensitivity following a whitening procedure.

Tooth sensitivity can develop due to the bleaching agents that are used in all tooth whitening products and procedures. These agents are caustic and can be irritating to the mouth. It is important for your dentist to use something called a dental dam in your mouth before the bleaching procedure. This is a safety precaution to ensure that the bleach only touches your teeth and doesn’t soak into the soft tissue in your mouth.

Even with these protective measures, you may still experience some sensitivity to hot or cold foods or beverages. This is called thermal sensitivity and it will typically go away within a few days of your procedure. If you experience severe pain or the pain lasts for more than a week, you should contact your dentist immediately.

Sensitivity Remedies

There are some remedies known to help tooth sensitivity. One remedy is for your dentist to place a fluoride application onto the sensitive teeth. This fluoride barrier can cut down on the amount of sensitivity you may have from the whitening procedure.

Another remedy is to use toothpaste that is formulated for sensitive teeth. These toothpastes contain a product called potassium nitrate, which when used over the course of several weeks will help reduce the sensitivity you may feel.

If you are considering a tooth whitening procedure, contact the office of Drs. Dennis and Deric Ikuta serving cosmetic dentistry patients in Reedley, Fresno and surrounding areas of California for a complimentary consultation.

Source: Tooth Whitening and Sensitivity

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Cosmetic Dentistry Advantages

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Let’s look at some of the benefits of cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry is an exciting field and many people are improving their lives because of it. But first, just what is cosmetic dentistry? What do “cosmetic” dentists do? How do they differ from other sorts of dentists?

Actually, most dentists cover this or that aspect of cosmetic dentistry along with other kinds of dentistry. For example, your local dentist will probably be an expert in tooth whitening as well as an expert in filling cavities. You can talk to your cosmetic dentist about any of the particular specialties of cosmetic dentistry, and if he can’t perform them himself he can at least point you in the right direction.

Cosmetic surgery deals basically with how your teeth look. Rotten teeth, gum disease, are unattractive, of course, but their appearance is secondary to the great harm they’re causing you physically. Strictly cosmetic dentistry, on the other hand, is usually performed on teeth that are more or less working right. The one exception to this rule is dental implants, which are devices used by dentist to actually replace a lost tooth. The lost tooth may be a molar, which isn’t visible but nevertheless is quite important to your comfort and pleasure.

1. Cosmetic dentistry can help to make your teeth whiter. Whiter teeth means a whiter smile, a whiter smile means more personal attractiveness, more personal attractiveness generally means more attraction from other people, more attraction from other people generally means higher self-esteem. The great thing about tooth whitening is that it’s a relatively simple, inexpensive process, and relatively safe, too, assuming you’re good at following your dentist’s direction to the letter. If you are, you can have a whiter, brighter, better smile in a relatively short amount of time. Many people find this nothing short of miraculous. For a long time there was nothing you could do about discolored teeth. You could be handsome as Casanova, everyone adored you, and then you smile and suddenly they get an eyeful of corn. Poor Casanova—your fatal flaw! These days Casanova can just pop in to the local dentist and walk out a few weeks later with significantly whitened corn. So, that’s one of the big benefits of cosmetic dentistry—tooth whitening.

2. Other benefits of cosmetic dentistry not only improve your looks, they improve the function of your teeth as well. Braces come to mind. Braces are a tricky thing. Everyone hates them, yet they’re pretty necessary if you want straight teeth. Some people don’t care whether or not they’re teeth are crooked, so long as they don’t hurt, so long as they chew, squash, grind, and shatter food with healthy gusto. Others, though, feel differently, and they desire nice straight teeth whether they can comfortably tear into a humongous steak or not. For these people, there are a variety of solutions. I said before that everyone hates braces, but braces technology has changed a lot over the years. It used to be that everyone had the same heavy, clumsy, unattractive lines of metal thrown over their teeth whether their case was serious or not. Nowadays, however, dentists take crooked teeth case by case and decide whether you need old-fashioned braces or whether a simpler solution will do (such as a plastic retainer that’s only worn at night, for example). But even old-fashioned braces aren’t as ugly and painful as they used to be.

3. Another benefit of cosmetic dentistry is one I’ve mentioned already, that is, tooth replacement through dental implants. But you can rebuild a tooth, too—a dentist can make a small or worn-down (front) tooth bigger and more shapely and attractive. If you want to just get rid of all of your front teeth, or at least the ones that are most visible, and start over, you can do that too. Your dentist can grind down those teeth himself and replace them with something that looks identical to a tooth only bigger, prettier, whiter, and stronger.

Source: The Benefits of Cosmetic Dentistry

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