There are two ways that teeth whitening is performed. One way is with Abrasives and the other way is with Oxygenators.

Abrasives are packaged in a paste form, like Whitening Toothpastes. They are filled with powdered Silicate, that is made from sand. As the paste is brushed across the tooth surface, it abrades away the outer layer of tooth enamel, much like sandpaper. This is very destructive and unhealthy for your teeth. As the outer enamel layer is sandpapered away, the teeth often become sensitive to hot and cold.

Any chemical that releases Oxygen is called an Oxygenator. One such chemical is Carbamide Peroxide. Teeth whitening materials that contain Carbamide Peroxide take advantage of the fact that the enamel surface that covers your teeth has millions of tiny pores that can fill up with staining materials like red wine, Coca-Cola, tomato sauces, etc. Over time, when dark-colored materials go into the pores in the enamel of your teeth, they can discolor the teeth so that they are no longer white. When Carbamide Peroxide is placed next to a stained tooth, the oxygen that is released can go into the enamel pores and cleanse them of their dark-colored stains. There are three things that will determine whether or not an Oxygenating system will effectively whiten your teeth.

1. Strength of Whitening Agent – In general, the larger the percentage of Carbamide Peroxide in a whitening system, the more effective it is in whitening your teeth. Most systems have between 2% – 60% concentrations. Concentrations above 60% have been found to have more negative side effects than positive whitening effects and are not available for purchase in the United States or Canada.

2. Proximity of Whitening Agent To Teeth – The closer the whitening agent is held up against a tooth, the more effective it can be in removing the stain. When evaluating whitening systems, critically evaluate how closely the whitening agent is held against all of the surfaces of enamel that you want to whiten.

3. Length of Time Whitening Agent is in Contact with Teeth – The greater the length of time that a whitening agent is held up against a tooth, the greater its effectiveness in whitening your teeth. When evaluating the following whitening systems, think about how long the whitening agent will be held up against the teeth with each different system.

Abrasiveness of Whitening Agent

Toothpaste with Silicate particles can remove the protective outer coating of enamel on your teeth. This can lead to your teeth being sensitive to hot and cold.

Gum Irritation

Some patients will experience a mild irritation in their gums if some whitening material with 5% – 22% Carbamide Peroxide is exposed to the gum tissue. In most cases, this irritation is reversible and relatively minor.

Chemical Burning of Gum Tissue

This is a major problem with In-Office Whitening Systems which use 35%-60% Carbamide Peroxide gels. A tissue protecting gel must first be placed on all exposed gum tissue before any highly concentrated whitening gel is applied to the teeth. If even the tiniest amount of this extremely strong material touches your lip, it will blister and ulcerate the tissue. This is one of the major reasons SmileOn Dentistry does not recommend this type of whitening for his patients.

Desiccation (Removal of Moisture) of Tooth Structure

Most people have seen the advertisements for ZOOM Teeth Whitening, where the patient is sitting with their mouth open and a fancy high tech light is shining on their teeth. Dentists will tell their patients that the whitening gel is “activated” by the Ultra Violet light. But scientific research has yet to prove that UV light has any effect on how white your teeth become using this system. The one thing that has been scientifically shown to be true is that the bright light that is shining on your teeth creates heat. This heat can remove all of the moisture from your teeth through a process called Desiccation. The removal of all the water from your teeth due to intense heat has been shown to cause damage to the nerve inside of teeth in some cases.

• Whitening Toothpaste

• Whitening Pens

• Whitening Strips

• In-Office Whitening

• Take-Home Whitening

To schedule a NO CHARGE consultation with SmileOn Dentistry to find out which tooth whitening system is best for you. click HERE.