Tooth Whitening and Dental Health Concerns
Many people fail to realize that tooth whitening and dental concerns go hand-in-hand. Just because the store shelves happen to be lined with teeth whitening products that claim to remove stains and discoloration safely—well, it doesn’t necessarily make it so! When the directions are followed precisely and there are no mitigating factors getting in the way, then they are most likely safe. But, at the end of the day, dental whitening products do involve the use of bleaching agents and some pretty impressive ingredients that can cause problems for your overall health.
Three of the most popular over the counter teeth whitening methods available to the public are:
- Teeth whitening strips
- Teeth whitening toothpaste
- Teeth bleaching kits
The dental teeth whitening strips are certainly one of the more popular products when it comes to home stain removal. They are used by applying the strips directly to your teeth—in most cases just prior to going to sleep. The bleaching agent in the strips is supposed to gently remove stains while you slumber. Then, you awaken the next morning and remove them. In about 2 weeks, most teeth whitening strips claim that you should have a visibly brighter smile.
And truthfully, this is usually the case but sometimes people sleep longer than the directions call for. While leaving the strips on for an hour or so extra once in awhile is no problem, sometimes people leave them on purposely for longer than indicated in the hopes of speeding up the time it take for the teeth whitening product to work. By doing so, people are risking their dental health because the bleaching agent in the strip may remove the enamel coating the outside of our teeth. This not only makes it easier for stains to form in the future, it also makes our teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay and cavities.
Where teeth whitening toothpaste is concerned, one of the hidden dangers for the user are tiny abrasives. These abrasives are supposed to help the bleaching agent penetrate beyond the enamel to aid in the stain removal process. However, if you brush too hard, the abrasives will scratch away the enamel and leave your dental health vulnerable just as with the whitening strips when they destroy this protective layer.
Teeth bleaching kits come with trays that are designed to fit inside your mouth. You apply dental bleaching gel to the tray and it fits over your teeth. This is actually the most effective tooth whitening system from home but you need to make sure that you trim the tray before use to make sure that it fits properly and does not ride upon your gums. Otherwise, the bleaching gel will slip out form under the tray and get on your gingival and soft tissues in the mouth and lead to irritation and possible mouth sores. While not as fast as “zoom teeth whitening”, these dental whitening trays will effectively remove moderate to slightly severe staining in about 10-14 days. Where tooth whitening and dental health are concerned, these kits can be used effectively and safely when directions are followed.