About Teeth Whitening
It seems that the “Hollywood” whiter smile has become more popular with people throughout the United States. A variety of teeth-whitening products have recently been made available, ranging from over-the-counter products such as Crest Whitestrips to professional products such as the ZOOM In-Office Power Whitening. Many patients have had some form of teeth whitening done at some point in their life, but many still have questions and concerns. Following, I will address some of these teeth whitening questions, beginning with the most important one of all:
Is Teeth Whitening Safe?
Long periods of exposure to carbamide peroxide (the basic ingredient in commercial and professional whitening gels) have shown to decrease the strength of tooth enamel, thus exposing teeth to possible fracture and even decay. But the effects of short-term usage are still under debate. A number of clinical trials recently published in the Journal of the American Dental Association Vol. 134 show that, “Different concentrations of carbamide peroxide agents result in decrease in enamel microhardness from baseline values.” But other clinical studies in the past have shown that there were no significant changes in enamel microhardness when using short-term regimens of carbamide peroxide. In other words the majority of products out in the market today used for teeth whitening will weaken your teeth and may even make them more prone to cavities.
Can anything be done to prevent possible damage from teeth whitening?
There is a medicated paste that can be prescribed to patients that will strengthen their enamel before and after teeth whitening. In addition, there is one form of whitening solution out there today, that contains special ingredients that have been clinically proven to increase enamel microhardness. The clinical study backing up this solution was also published in JADA Vol. 134.
Is faster better? What can you tell me about one hour teeth whitening?
One hour teeth whitening can be done in most offices. A concentrated form of peroxide gel is placed on the teeth and a “ plasma light” is often used to speed up the process. But initial whiteness is accentuated because the teeth are dehydrated from this procedure. Thus many patients who do this one hour whitening, go home and find out that their teeth get darker after a few days, due to re-hydration of the teeth. In addition, sometimes the concentration of the gel with the activation of the plasma light is so strong, that many patients experience pain and may have permanent sensitivity to cold.
What can you tell me about using over-the-counter products made by companies like Crest and Colgate?
Over- the-counter teeth whitening products purchased from a local drugstore take anywhere from two to three weeks to whiten your teeth and may not be as effective nor last as long as professional teeth whitening. Because of this prolonged exposure to the gel from over-the-counter products, permanent damage to the enamel of teeth is very likely to occur. If patients choose this route, it is highly recommended that they use a prescribed medicated paste before and after the teeth whitening procedure to minimize any possible damage.
What do you recommend as a safe method to whiten teeth?
We first go through a screening process to see which whitening procedure the patient is a good candidate for. In our office we offer two forms of teeth whitening: one, our regular whitening procedure for the everyday person and another called Deep Bleaching which we offer for those people who want the best teeth whitening results. Regardless of which whitening technique we use, we always prescribe a special medicated paste that the patient will use for about a week prior to the scheduled teeth whitening. This increases the strength of their enamel and prevents or reduces sensitivity. In addition, in both of our teeth whitening procedures we have incorporated the use of the only whitening solution in the market today that has been clinically proven to improve the strength of enamel and prevent cavities.
Can you give me more information on Deep Bleaching?
Dr. Brien Hsu has provided smile-whitening for some time now, but like many dentists and patients, he’s been frustrated that many patients do not achieve the whitening result they want, and even have pain during bleaching. After significant research, Dr. Hsu has now discovered the most effective teeth whitening technique ever known. You may have read in various articles about the amazing results Deep Bleaching offers. In fact, Deep Bleaching is so effective that it is the only one in the world that will whiten congenitally stained (since birth) and tetracycline discolored teeth – and it’s PERMANENT! Dentistry has tried to achieve this for over 35 years, and now Dr. Hsu has discovered the answer. He’s even solved the problem of severe discomfort during bleaching… If you’ve been unable to bleach your teeth due to severe discomfort, it’s very possible that with Dr. Hsu’s techniques you now can! So if you’ve been disappointed with results in the past, or if you’ve been waiting for the right technique to come along—have we got a new miracle for you! If you want truly WHITE teeth, Deep Bleaching is the real deal!