Genuine tooth whitening ideas?

brook2jack

There is no toothpaste or mouthwash that will whiten teeth. There have been numerous studies from consumer organisations such as Which, to programmes such as This morning etc.

What some abrasive toothpastes ( and charcoal, bicarbonate etc ) will do is rub surface stain off. They need to be used with caution as what will rub away stain will rub away enamel as well.

What mouthwashes etc will do is as they are acidic they will dissolve surface stain away . Again what will dissolve stain will also dissolve enamel.

So you can remove surface stain at home but you cannot fundamentally whiten the underlying colour of the teeth. That can only legally be done at the dentists. It is utterly illegal for salons, beauticians to whiten teeth and many have been prosecuted.

cadon

brook2jack wrote: »

There is no toothpaste or mouthwash that will whiten teeth. There have been numerous studies from consumer organisations such as Which, to programmes such as This morning etc.

What some abrasive toothpastes ( and charcoal, bicarbonate etc ) will do is rub surface stain off. They need to be used with caution as what will rub away stain will rub away enamel as well.

What mouthwashes etc will do is as they are acidic they will dissolve surface stain away . Again what will dissolve stain will also dissolve enamel.

So you can remove surface stain at home but you cannot fundamentally whiten the underlying colour of the teeth. That can only legally be done at the dentists. It is utterly illegal for salons, beauticians to whiten teeth and many have been prosecuted.

Would you recommend any special toothpastes/mouthwashes for coffee drinkers? I do see a hygienist for a scale and polish every six months so I'm not looking for an alternative to a professional, just wondered if maybe I could use something to complement that service.

PS Cutting down on the coffee is not an option!

paddyrg

Some people drink their coffee through a straw to reduce tooth exposure - may help?

I really cannot recommend unlicensed whitening places, you've no idea if the over-strength gel is going to burn, or cause mouth cancers, or whatever down the road - by which time they'll be long gone with your money.

faerielight

I got mine done with a groupon voucher a few years ago but it hurt and didnt work. I've since discovered Opalescence gel. It's what my dentist uses, but you can get it on ebay cheaply and it is fantastic.

brook2jack

It is utterly illegal to sell opalescence to the public anywhere in the UK or EU. The people who sell it do so knowing it is illegal to do so and with no legitimate way of purchasing the gels from the manufacturer.

So what are the chances that these are not counterfeit ? The reason these gels are not legal to sell in the EU is because it is deemed unsafe to allow unfettered use of them.

Are you happy to put something inside your body on one of the most sensitive places that has been supplied illegally and has no guarantee it is what it says it is?

brook2jack

cadon wrote: »

Would you recommend any special toothpastes/mouthwashes for coffee drinkers? I do see a hygienist for a scale and polish every six months so I'm not looking for an alternative to a professional, just wondered if maybe I could use something to complement that service.

PS Cutting down on the coffee is not an option!

Ask your dentist as they can assess the state of your teeth and enamel. All stain removal pastes have the potential to remove enamel as well so care needs to be exercised .

Zoesmithx46

Coconut Oil is fab! Swill it round your mouth for 20 minutes each day - it's called oil pulling.

it's just finding the time each day that's a bit of a pain but it works

brook2jack

See the earlier link ,there is no evidence this works at all and advertising standard shave stopped several companies from claiming it does as there is no evidence for it.

System

brook2jack wrote: »

It is utterly illegal to sell opalescence to the public anywhere in the UK or EU. The people who sell it do so knowing it is illegal to do so and with no legitimate way of purchasing the gels from the manufacturer.

Googling Opalescence brings up many results. The top three being:

http://bleachrefills.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7

http://www.dental-products-online.co.uk/opalescence.html?gclid=CIfo1fz0yswCFfYV0wodjCAAoQ

http://www.teethwhiteningrefills.co.uk/opalescence-s/1821.htm?gclid=CNTk7Yj1yswCFRK3GwodSIUDgw

brook2jack

Not only are they illegally selling to the public, they are selling concentrations that even dentists are not legally allowed to use.

The EU brought in these bans because there is good evidence to say using hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth has risks and dentists need to assess oral health each and every time it is used to whiten teeth.

The problem is those who are "bleachorexics" , smokers and drinkers are just the sort of peopl who will use these products most inappropriately and put themselves most at risk.

Here is the scientific judgement which led to the ban on selling products such as the above direct to consumers. http://ec.europa.eu/health/archive/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_cons_01_en.pdf

Unfortunately the problem of on line sellers selling illegal and dangerous products is not new http://www.theguardian.com/money/2010/aug/20/illegal-tooth-whitening-online

Do not buy these illegal products if you value your health, you really have no guarantee what is in them and it is not safe.