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I’ve been whitening my patient’s teeth
for over 20 years and I love the results. So do my
patients and who wouldn’t? It seems that
white teeth are now a cultural phenomenon. Almost everyone
wants their teeth whiter. But not everyone
wants to go to a dentist and not everyone can afford
what most dentists charge.
So a few years ago,
over-the-counter whiteners began flooding the market,
each with its own gimmick, or gadget, or promise of
sparkling white teeth in just minutes. Anything and
everything has been marketed to the public because of the
tremendous demand and the profits to be made. As PT Barnum once said,
“There’s a sucker born every minute” and thus an uninformed public
is susceptible to deceit and
trickery.
In 2004 over-the-counter teeth
whitening product sales passed a billion dollars a year! It seems as if
America’s obsession with white teeth had big business
foaming at the mouth. The big names in oral health care
products all wanted their piece of this very lucrative
pie.
It amazes me now when I see television
commercial claims such as. “Teeth whiter in
just three days!”
“Whiter teeth in just five minutes a day”. “Brush on and
see results overnight”. “Exactly the
same as the dentist does”. It makes me sick
because so many people fall for these claims and pay
good money for products that either don’t work or work
just a little bit at best.
Let me start with the products that don’t
work at all. I have to cringe every time I see an ad for
teeth whitening gum, whitening tooth paste, or whitening
mouth rinse.
What a huge scam! Yet people
continue to buy these products and use them over and
over.
Savvy, but deceitful, marketers have learned that
consumers will buy one product over another if it has
“Whitening” on its label and the competitor’s brand
doesn’t. So
everything for your teeth and mouth now also has to be a
teeth whitener in order to
sell.
But the real truth of the matter is that they
don’t whiten teeth! Where are the consumer advocates who are
supposed to be out there protecting the public from
false advertising?
I just don’t get it. So use your
common sense when you are spending your hard earned
money to buy something to whiten your teeth. If you don't
believe me, do you believe editors of the highly respected
magazine CONSUMER REPORTS? That's what they
say!
Here is the real scoop on teeth
whitening.
Teeth have been shown to whiten when exposed
to a peroxide like solution. How much the
teeth whiten depends on three things. The first two
are the concentration of the peroxide solution and the
time it stays on the teeth are two variables that can be
controlled.
The third thing
over which we have no control is the
inherent color of the teeth before the whitening is
started. I
will talk about that in a minute.
Concentration vs. Time. That’s all teeth whitening is about. The
concentration of the whitening gel is very important and
varies with the technique used. You should know
that the meager concentration of peroxide in toothpaste,
gum, or a mouth rinse is minimal. It isn’t strong
enough to have any effect on the whitening of your
teeth.
Other methods like paint-ons just don’t stay
on your teeth long enough to do the job.
Some teeth whitening kits claim
that your teeth will be whiter in just minutes a
day. Won’t
happen!
How about that kit that comes with a special
tray that has a light that is supposed to
whiten super fast?
Bogus!
The light is a simple LED
light with no capabilities of whitening whatsoever. So
the teeth are exposed to some whitening gel for just a few minutes with a
light for hype. Anyone who uses this kit would
feel like a fool if they knew the truth. I am ashamed of
these types of companies.
The biggest winner in over-the-counter
whitening products are the whitening strips. They are little
strips of “cling wrap” with
whitening gel laid on the inside surface. Yes, they do
produce what Consumer Reports calls moderate results if
you go through two boxes of the strips. My honest
experience with them is that they do whiten some
people’s upper front six teeth fairly well. But that’s all
they will do.
No one I know ever says they could wear the lowers
with any results. They just won’t
stay on because the tongue keeps dislodging it. So here is one
over the counter that does do something. At least it has
some effect.
The way dentists whiten teeth is the best
way...because it works. Custom-fitted trays are specially made to
hold the whitening gel evenly against the teeth. Remember that
the time the gel is exposed to the teeth is one of the
variables.
A custom fit tray is best because it is also
comfortable and can be worn for
extended periods of time. Over-the-counter
trays which are called “boil and bites” are bulky and
cumbersome. Few people could wear these things long
enough to get good
results.
Another way a dentist will
whiten teeth is called One Hour Whitening. You have to sit
in the chair for about an hour while a very high
strength peroxide gel is applied to the teeth. Once again,
remember that teeth will whiten dependant upon the
concentration of the whitening gel and the time it is
in contact
with the teeth.
If you would happen to overhear
dentists talk about one hour teeth whitening, you would
learn a few things that might concern you. Number one is
that one hour generally isn’t enough to get the results
that make people happy. They look white
for a few days but then darken up a bit gradually. Sometimes the
will go back to their original shade fairly
soon.
The next thing to consider is
the sensitivity.
I’ve had to write pain prescriptions after one of
these sessions.
Some dentists give pain meds before they whiten
as a general rule because they know its going to hurt.
The last fact concerns the light that is used to
“activate” the whitening gel. Laser whitening
is really a myth and is used only as a marketing
tool. The
light might increase the whitening capability a few
percentage points but it really isn’t even enough to
notice.
The safest and best way to whiten
teeth.
I believe it is slowly over a 10-14 day
period.
That is achieved with a custom tray containing a
high quality gel at a concentration that is comfortable
for the patient and is worn an hour or so a day. The fee is
reasonable compared to one hour
whitening and having the trays offers so many benefits
to the patient.
I always give my patients a desensitizer that can
be placed in the tray and worn to make the teeth more
comfortable after a whitening session. The trays can be
kept and used for touch ups when needed for a whitening
boost down the road.
I am so sure that the custom tray is so
necessary that I even developed a way for people to make
their own trays in the comfort of their own homes. The product is
called AllureSmile and I received a patent for this technique. Look for it soon
on TV.
Actually, it’s available now at my office or on the
internet by going to my website
AllSmilesNow.com.
Lastly, you should know that not
all teeth will whiten at the same rate as others. Teeth that
whiten faster and better are those that are just a
bit yellow. Yellow shades
are the easiest to remove. Brown colors in
teeth are harder to remove and require much more
whitening time.
Gray stains are the hardest to remove and may
require more time than most people are willing to use
the whitening trays and gels. Even here
though, studies and experience has shown that even these
teeth will whiten if you are persistent
enough.
I hope this has been beneficial to you
in cutting through all the hype and misinformation and
that is out there concerning teeth whitening. Without
the facts, you are easy prey for those who would mislead
you for a profit.
Dr. D. Scott Trettenero,
DDS
239-344-7210 |
