There is a LOT of promotion of tooth whitening these days - pastes, trays, kits, systems, toothpaste, mouth wash, whitening pens, strips…
I get that some people really do have badly stained or discolored teeth. Personally, I think such people should probably consult a dentist if it’s really bad, but that’s strictly my opinion. I also get that coffee, tea, dark fruit juices, etc. can cause some discoloration but I’ve found that regular brushing and the twice yearly dental hygienist cleanings are entirely adequate to take care of that in my case. But, again, strictly my opinion there.
The real question I have is… what’s the downside? Can all those bleaches and whiteners damage enamel? Irritate the gums? Cause some other problem? What if someone has a mix of caps/crowns and natural teeth? Are there problems with the different substances reacting differently, either causing more/less staining or more/less bleaching?
What seems common sensical to me is that teeth that are not perfectly white present absolutely no health hazard whatsoever, but the chemical whitening agent might, so I would prefer to opt for toothpaste without it. But my dentist has advised me to use tartar control toothpaste, which is hard to find without a whitener. In terms of long-term health, I’d rather use both than neither.
My dentist told me years ago that prolonged use of popular tooth whitening agents (strips, etc.) tend to make teeth brittle. He also suggested avoiding toothpaste with whitening agents as many are abrasive and wear down tooth enamel.
I’ve had whitening done by a dentist, and at home, and the only difference was price (the former more than 10x the latter).
In both cases it worked, but a few months soaking in coffee solution restored the original shade.
Also in both cases the teeth were sensitive for a few hours after, but there has been no noticeable long term damage (teeth don’t feel sensitive, and my last couple of check-ups at the dentist found no problems).
You know, every six months the dental office sandblasts my teeth with some vaguely mint-flavored finely powdered volcanic rock. That’s fine every six months but every day I’d expect it would be disastrous. There can be too much of a good thing. I’d expect occasional whitening treatments are fine, but you just know some folks are going to overdo it.
Oh, and if your dentist recommends Crest Whitestrips that’s totally cool - and he/she is probably saving you money over having it done in the office.
I’ve had my teeth whitened through my dentist a few times over the years. The initial cost is definitely for the creation of the trays but I’ve now had them for years and reuse them every couple years for a week or two of whitening treatment. The gel treatment itself is fairly inexpensive from my dentist, $10.00 a tube and I usually buy two for a two week treatment.
I’ve never tried the over the counter strip products. Whitening toothpaste has never done anything for me.
I am a daily coffee drinker and an occasional smoker so every couple years I just brighten things up to my natural color, not Super White.
dentist here. The main downside to bleaching is sensitivity. Carbamide peroxide, the bleach, won’t hurt your enamel. There are products both on late night TV and in the dental aisle that can harm your teeth. Generally they are a gel you paint on and then a stick to rub with. These are usually a mild acid solution and an abrasive. Don’t use them. They remove enamel. Read the package. Carbamide Peroxide is what you want. Crest white strips work well for most people, in office or take home kits from the dentist are usually stronger so work faster but may be more sensitivity. How lone it lasts varies but six months to two years for most folks. Yellow stains bleache much easier then gray stains. Sensitivity is also highly variable.
“Whitener” is seen in the description of toothpastes … its normally the flouride…
Any other whitener would have to be listed as an additional active ingredient…
Also the tartar control would also have to be an active ingredient…
Toothpaste is just detergent/surfectant (helps dissolve stuff), and grit… (cuts and abrades the film of tartar /stuff that coats the teeth, instead of merely spreading it around)…
An active ingredient is something that actually causes a chemical reaction … an effect at molecular or crystal level… flouride replaces phosphate in the enamel, peroxide attacks organic molecules (adding oxygen to them generally makes them soluble), and enzymes split large (organic) molecules into smaller ones (eg turns “fat” into oil … )
What I am getting at is that old fashioned soap and grit on a toothbrush works N ways
whitens (removing the film of brown coloured tartar …)
controls tartar (grit works better than rinsing with water)
reduces bacteria levels (well if you remove the food for the bugs, there must be less bugs)
controls/helps cure gingivitis (less bacteria…)
helps with bad breath (if you have gingivitis… your throat is a complicated place… and tonsils and other throat parts may be infected too ? )
reduces tongue whiteness (putting some detergent on the tongue… film , of food and bacteria, dissolves, washes off, falls off … )
…
You know the spearmint taste is just to trick your taste buds into not rejecting soap as a toxic substance…
I’ve used the strips and the OTC trays with peroxide in them. They’re both ok. Minor sensitivity after the “fast” whitening (you leave it on for about 2 hours).
But my teeth are ivory colored, and that’s it. That super-white color just looks odd to me, and I don’t think I’d want it for my teeth.
I had consulted my family dentist Dr. David Silberman (Houston) and he recommended to use whitening trays. There were some transient sensitivity to hot and cold during the process. He also asked me not to have too much off coffee, tobacco, wine and other agents that can stain teeth. There is no need to continuously whiten your teeth once you go for a whitening treatment.
