Advice on Teeth Whitening Discussion Thread

moneylover

Well, poor Ch0ccy he has to get this sorted and the last half dozen posts or so from our helpful dentists are worth more than hours of research trying to decide on best system- I have read quite a lot about tooth whitening but knew hardly any of the very important points that have been listed in this thread. It makes me angry really you have to trust the dentist so much and expect to be able to do so since their qualifications are so demanding and like doctors, they are expected by their profession to have a patients best interests at heart.
One thing, the difference between the bottom of the teeth and the top - the difference in thickness in enamel that is the problem thatCh0ccy has, is that common? Something that increases with age? And should a dentist be able to assess this problem beforehand or is it a case of suck it and see? Surely if there is this differential in individual teeth it would be noticeable even when the teeth weree in the natural state?

lisawood78

julia, go spam elsewhere.

moneylover

brook2jack wrote: »

If you are happy to let an unqualified person with a couple of hours "training" put unknown chemicals on one of the most sensitive parts of your body in what is the illegal practice of dentistry then go ahead.

If you value your oral health have a proper consultation with a dentist, see if it is safe , effective for you (whitening doesn't work on fillings or crowns and shouldn't be done on someone with active gum disease.)

what do you define as active gum disease - my hygienist says I have some gum disease and wants me to see her every three months but the dentist has never mentioned it and I knowthat gum disease can cover a multitude of sins.

brook2jack

When you have active gum disease

1 the gums are swollen and inflamed, putting a chemical on top is a bad idea. Also if swelling gets better as inflammation goes down it then exposes new parts of teeth that are not whitened

2 cleaning is not effective ,plaque and tartar build up ,solution cant get through and teeth end up streaky

3 roots may be exposed, these are sensitive anyway bit put solution on top and we'll be peeling you off the ceiling

4 gums bleed easily and will be difficult to make an accurately fitting tray which is essential for whitening success

5 if gum disease active cleaning is not as good as it should be so teeth more likely to get stained again quicker

There are many other reasons. It is not unusual for hygienist to spend more time talking about your gum problems as this is their specialism but your dentist should be aware and talk to you about problems.

moneylover

Brook2Jack
I knew you or one of the others would come along with an excellent reply. People are so much more likely to be careful about tooth whitening when they know the reasons why.
On the basis of what you say I dont think I have active gum disease as my gums are not swollen or red. However am really concentrating on dental hygiene now and am going to wait for one more hygienist appt before I go ahead and have Enlighten

foxybabe

Someone has told me to get some of these as they are really good. Has anyone used them?

onewingedangel

My sister has. she really noticed a difference after about 3 goes.

Sublime_2

My ex uses them. His teeth are lovely and white despite being a smoker.

foxybabe

Which ones are the best ones to get/ I have just been looking on ebay and there are different types.

Sublime_2

I got them for him, but can't remember which ones. He actually gets his own now.

This article may help you decide from wikipedia.