Dental bleaching/whitening

2
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Tooth whitening has been a raising trend for cosmetic purposes such as the use of laser(light accelerated bleaching) and in office hydrogen peroxide bleaching method. Which type of beaching/whitening method is most effective? There are studies that shown that use of light during bleaching increases the risk of tooth sensitivity and may not be any more effective than bleaching without light when high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide are used.

What is your opinion?

Teeth Whitening & Bleaching
Dental Care
Whitening products
Healthcare
Lawrence Loy
59 months ago

4 answers

3

Lawrence..."Don't look into the light",

The UV light is all show and no go. There is no good clinical proof that a UV light used in home or by a dentist (during in-office whitening) speeds up the process of whitening or does a better job at whitening your teeth. In fact, it may increase sensitivity, harm the tooth and can damage your eyes, lips, and gums with UV rays. The reality is the peroxide in the gel is doing the work and the UV lights are a marketing ploy.  The gels you apply by strip, pen or tray contain an active whitening ingredient (either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide) that penetrates your enamel to get to discolored molecules. Oxygen molecules from the whitening agents react with the discolored molecules in your teeth, breaking the bonds that hold them together. At-home systems contain from 3% to 20% peroxide (carbamide or hydrogen peroxides). In-office systems contain from 15% to 43% peroxide. Generally, the longer you keep a stronger solution on your teeth, the whiter your teeth become. However, the higher the percentage of peroxide in the whitening solution, the shorter it should be applied to the teeth. Keeping the gel on too long will dehydrate the tooth and increase tooth sensitivity. The best solution we have found to increase whitening and avoiding tooth sensitivity is a combination of a good quality toothpaste (skip the activated charcoal and ask your dentist) and great tools like a sonicbrush with a whitening and polish mode, flossing and oral pH and microbiome balancing mints. An occasional bleaching with strips or by your dentist is a good reset especially it you are a big tea, coffee or red wine drinker.

ADA statements on teeth whitening.

"Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful" 

MICHAEL and Dr. B. DDS @ GLINT oral care

Michael Evans
59 months ago
Great information Micheal regarding the use of UV light does not really help much in the preoxide whitening process. - Lawrence 59 months ago
2

Whiter teeth is the current dental cosmetic trend where many are visiting their dentist office for such treatment. However, it could be quite pricey and the cost is generally not cover by medical health care insurance! In office whitening treatment uses a more potent bleaching agent that home bleaching kit. This results in a significant differences in the whitening/bleaching effects. Just as @Michael Evans mentioned above, the laser light act as a accelerator agent and there are studies that shown that the result are not significantly different from those with normal in office bleaching technique.

Chun Wei
59 months ago
How about home bleaching agent? How often do we need in use it as touch up after an in office bleaching treatment? Whill excessive bleaching carcinogenic? It seems like hydrogen peroxide are actually carcinogenic in high concentraion. - Lawrence 59 months ago
1

The best form of light-activated teeth whitening is usually a combination of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide with lights or lasers of various wavelengths. The light is thought to act as a catalyst, quickening the breakdown of the peroxide to create free radicals and accelerating the whitening process.

Adrian Minh
59 months ago
Adrian, There is not one good clinical study to show UV lights work. BTW free radicals cause cancer... A recent study published in January in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences found that light-activation didn't improve bleaching. The researchers went one step further: They found that UV light treatments, in particular, exposed patients to four times the dose of radiation from sunbathing - Michael 59 months ago
I agree with micheal that many journals does not support the fact that UV lights do more benefits from chemical bleaching . - Lawrence 59 months ago
1

How does the whitening affect to the mouth mibrobiota ?

María F Lara
59 months ago
Great question! i also wonder about the same thing and will bleaching affects the oral cell? Meaning will it poses a higher risk of oral cancer in the long run? - Chun 59 months ago

Have some input?