Tooth whitening

HappyUser

Hello!



I want to whiten my teeth, but without damaging them.


I saw on Amazon some active charcoal powders. Are they good and healthy?


Or can you suggest me another toothpaste/product?


I buy from the supermarket some cheap Colgate whitening toothpaste that does nothing.


thanks!

brook2jack

No toothpaste/powder/kit available legally over the counter will whiten teeth . They are not legally allowed to have a high enough concentration of the active ingredient.

All abrasives do , like charcoal/bicarbonate soda / "whitening toothpastes" , is wear away surface stains . What wears away surface stains will also wear away enamel leaving permanently damaged teeth.

Acids such as lemon/strawberries etc dissolve surface stain and also tooth enamel .

So no there is nothing you can legally buy to whiten teeth.

Toothsmith

If you really want whiter teeth, go and speak to your dentist about it.

Anything you buy, as Brook said, will either be a useless waste of money, or something that could easily lead to very expensive dental bills.

HappyUser

Toothsmith wrote: »

If you really want whiter teeth, go and speak to your dentist about it.

Anything you buy, as Brook said, will either be a useless waste of money, or something that could easily lead to very expensive dental bills.

Not sure what to believe to be honest. The last dentist I went, used a commercially available tooth gel and charged me an arm and a leg. I am not sure about your 'special'/'secret' products that have so advanced formula that do not damage teeth while all the rest damage. Unless you specify exact products and formulas, I don't see why a dentist would be necessary, apart from getting a fat bill for something that NHS won't cover.


Of course I don't trust dodgy brands, but there are decent brands out there that I don't see why they are not able to make a product that is effective and safe, while dentists only are able to access such secret products.

Brynsam

Why bother to post here is you know all about it and aren't going to take the advice you claim to be seeking?

brook2jack

There is no "secret formula" for whitening teeth .

However it is illegal to buy products that contain above 0.1% hydrogen peroxide over the counter. This is because anything that is strong enough to change the colour of enamel , which is the strongest substance in the body , can also potentially cause damage to teeth , gums and oral mucosa.

A dentist , first of all, will assess your oral health. The majority of people will not have good enough oral health for tooth whitening. For most they will need scaling and polishing to improve their oral health. This will also remove tartar deposits and staining and for many this will be enough of an improvement. This will cost £30 to £60 with a hygienist.

If oral and general health is good enough then you may commence teeth whitening . This will use hydrogen peroxide , up to 6% or carbamine peroxide up to 18%. Then dentist should then monitor treatment to make sure whitening is proceeding safely.

There is not a secret product but tooth whitening has its hazards and there are some who should not whiten their teeth , because of danger to their oral or general health. That is why it is illegal to purchase products with sufficient peroxide to whiten teeth and why only dentists are allowed to provide treatments with sufficient concentration to be effective.

HappyUser

brook2jack wrote: »

There is no "secret formula" for whitening teeth .

However it is illegal to buy products that contain above 0.1% hydrogen peroxide over the counter. This is because anything that is strong enough to change the colour of enamel , which is the strongest substance in the body , can also potentially cause damage to teeth , gums and oral mucosa.

A dentist , first of all, will assess your oral health. The majority of people will not have good enough oral health for tooth whitening. For most they will need scaling and polishing to improve their oral health. This will also remove tartar deposits and staining and for many this will be enough of an improvement. This will cost £30 to £60 with a hygienist.

If oral and general health is good enough then you may commence teeth whitening . This will use hydrogen peroxide , up to 6% or carbamine peroxide up to 18%. Then dentist should then monitor treatment to make sure whitening is proceeding safely.

There is not a secret product but tooth whitening has its hazards and there are some who should not whiten their teeth , because of danger to their oral or general health. That is why it is illegal to purchase products with sufficient peroxide to whiten teeth and why only dentists are allowed to provide treatments with sufficient concentration to be effective.

How much would a dentist charge for tooth whitening? (bare in mind depending on usage, you may need to repeat the whitening after 6-12 months)

brook2jack

The first time whitening is more expensive as trays have to be made etc . It will cost £150 to £350 ish.

Subsequent top ups at around 1 to 2 years or more depending on dietary habits etc are the cost of one syringe of gel ie around £10 .

Toothsmith

The vast majority of patients I've done whitening for don't feel the need to repeat it. They are still happy with their tooth shade several years later.

There are some that buy an extra syringe of gel from me now and again, but no one has ever needed a full pack.

Part of the reason is through good selection of patients, and some is down to being realistic about results (you do not get 'TOWIE' neon smiles through bleaching alone - you need to really mess up natural teeth to get results like that).

As Brook said, there are no 'secret' products. But the legitimate ones are professional use only - and that means dentists. Anything you can get through non-Dental sources, including beauticians, is illegal. It will either be illegally imported, (with uncontrolled transport & storage arrangements), fake or dangerous.

gigglinggoat

Tooth whitening? Just not worth it.....

Toothsmith

gigglinggoat wrote: »

Tooth whitening? Just not worth it.....

I'm always telling my patients no-one needs tooth whitening.

This is why risking your teeth on dodgy products and untrained operatives really isn't worth it.

By the same token - to get teeth as white as some 'reality' stars - actual tooth tissue needs removing, and the Armitage Shanks white porcelain it's replaced with will need replacing every few years with increasing amounts of damage to the natural tooth. This is a stupid fashion fad - and isn't worth it - either in money or biological cost.

But gel whitening, properly assessed, with patients with realistic expectations usually find it a very nice, non invasive way to 'cheer up' their smile and generally do find it to be worth it to them.