At-Home Whitening Methods: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Every-day habits like drinking coffee, eating food with colored spices, or smoking can stain your teeth over time, hampering a patient’s confidence. There’s nothing wrong with having discolored teeth: the problem starts when it affects your self-esteem, leads you to try dubious “at-home” whitening strategies, and ends up with an emergency visit to the Fleming Island dentist due to dental pain.
While some whitening treatments are safe and effective, others, especially the ones promoted online, are not. To help you protect your oral health, here’s a list of the good, the bad, and the ugly among at-home whitening treatments!
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of At-Home Whitening Methods
The Good: Whitening Strips
Whitening strips are over-the-counter products that lighten your teeth a shade or two. They’re best for mild discoloration and may only take several days after treatment. Whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, which penetrates the outer layer of your tooth and breaks down the pigmented molecules.
Moreover, whitening strips are completely safe: they may only cause mild sensitivity and gum irritation. If it continues, abandon their use and call a dentist right away.
The Bad: Overusing Whitening Toothpaste
Whitening toothpaste is another effective method for removing small stains and subtle discoloration. It’s more abrasive than regular toothpaste, which allows it to target surface stains in your smile.
The downside of whitening toothpaste is that overuse can result in enamel wear over time. This can cause sensitivity and leave your teeth more susceptible to cavities and further staining.
The Ugly: Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal became a trendy “natural” teeth-whitening solution because it was believed that this material eliminated toxins and removed stains. However, there is no proof that it is really effective.
To make matters worse, using charcoal to whiten teeth will erode enamel, too. As tooth enamel thins, the yellower inner layer of dentin starts to show through, leaving your teeth weak—and looking more yellow than when you started!
Get Long-Lasting Results with Whitening by a Fleming Island Dentist
As you can see, most at-home whitening methods aren’t as safe as they present themselves to be. To eliminate stains, most contain abrasive substances that break down pigments—but they also affect your dental enamel over time. Because of that, most dentists agree that in-office whitening treatments are the safest option.
At Philip P Clark PA, a certified professional will ensure that all materials used are safe for you and your teeth. Moreover, results last up to a year, making repetitive reapplications unnecessary. Would you like to learn more? Contact us today for more information!