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The dark side of white teeth: DIY whiteners can be dangerously addictive

When my five-year-old son suddenly exclaimed: ‘Why are your teeth so dirty,  Mummy?’, I knew it was time to do something. Years of drinking coffee and red wine had left my teeth stained and grey. It  had bothered me — I’d started wearing only dark tops (white made my teeth look  lemon-yellow) and grimacing at friends through closed lips. But the ‘dirty teeth’ comment was the final straw. That day, I  made an appointment at a smart dental practice to have my teeth professionally whitened.

It set me off on a five-year habit that was not only bad for my teeth, but possibly for my health. Initially, I was hoping for a smile to rival Tom  Cruise’s — and for close on £1,000 for professional…

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Featured

 It’s time to break the teeth-whitening monopoly

"It is unconstitutional to require someone to have eight years of higher education [college and dentistry school] before they can point a flashlight at someone’s teeth."

 The Most Effective Methods for Whiter Teeth

Using at-home whitening strips more than twice a year. "You can overdue it and create overly sensitized teeth. Stripping too much enamel can not only damage your teeth, but also your gums, plus some at-home whitening products can result in an artificial white that doesn't look natural."

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Swishing With Oil for Oral Health: Not Recommended

Oil pulling—the Ayurvedic practice of swishing oil in your mouth—may not be bad for you, but there's little evidence that it cleans teeth and none that it can cure anything else.

What is the healthiest and most effective way to whiten your teeth?

There is no shortage of ways to treat tooth discoloration: strips, rinses, brush-on gels and toothpastes sold at pharmacies; bleaching treatments at the dentist; trays bought at the dentist’s office for home use. The bottom line is all these methods work, but some require patience, and others a tolerance for painful sensitivity. And results will be only temporary.

Whitening Upstarts Make Dentists Gnash Teeth

Dingy teeth were once relatively common. But after a 1989 scientific article touted the use of low levels of hydrogen peroxide, pressed against teeth, to improve smiles, companies began producing whitening products and dentists began hawking them.

Resources

American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry

While over-the-counter tooth whitening products are available, dentist-supervised tooth whitening remains the safest, most effective method for brightening your smile.

Animated Teeth

The science of carbamide and hydrogen peroxide whiteners.

Cleveland Clinic

Studies of whitening products using 10% carbamide peroxide showed little to no effect on the hardness or mineral content of a tooth’s enamel surface.

Patient.info

When dealing with a bleaching agent such as peroxide, it is possible to burn yourself. As a result, DIY home kits, including teeth whitening strips, cannot be sold at the same strength as professionals would use. This means they will be less effective, or require a more frequent use to achieve the same results. This, in turn, could lead to gum irritation and sensitive teeth. Incorrect use or overuse of bleach could also damage the enamel, which is why these treatments should be avoided, even if they appear cheaper than professional treatment.