Teeth whitening products: what to advise patients

• Why does enamel darken?
• Frequent mistakes and misconceptions
• How to remove stubborn plaque? Mechanical
• Enzymatic
• Light

There are many misconceptions associated with whitening: some believe that it damages the enamel, others that it only works in the dentist’s chair. In fact, you can safely lighten your teeth several shades at home, without any medical skills. Today we will talk about the nature of enamel darkening and the means by which you can whiten your teeth without harm.

What teeth should be naturally?

We can list many examples that were considered a trend at one time, but at the same time were harmful to health. For example, women's corsets, which squeezed the internal organs so that they took away their breath and disrupted the functioning of the internal organs. The situation with teeth is approximately the same. Dentists confirm that our human smile is not snow-white by nature, but yellowish. This is normal and indicates oral health.

Despite popular belief, the enamel that covers the tooth is almost transparent and not white. Beneath it is dentin, the main tissue of the tooth, which naturally has a yellowish tint. It is this that “shines through” the enamel and gives it its characteristic yellowness. And most importantly, this shade indicates the health of the teeth, their strength and resistance to caries. If a person’s teeth are naturally too white, this indicates poor enamel mineralization and requires treatment.

Therefore, the first thing when consulting a visitor with the problem of yellow teeth is to determine whether the problem is acquired or whether it is a habitual condition of the teeth.

Flaws

Gel whitening is not suitable if you have fillings or crowns. Active oxygen is able to react with pigment accumulated on the surface of the enamel, but it cannot affect filling materials or ceramics. This is due to the fact that their structure is different from natural tooth enamel.

If you have a problem similar to that described in this article, be sure to contact our specialists. Don't diagnose yourself!

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Sources:

1. Personal experience as a dentist;
2. Krikheli, N.I. Teeth whitening and enamel microabrasion in aesthetic dentistry. Modern methods / N.I. Krikheli. - M.: Prakt. medicine, 2008;
3. Semchenko, I.M. Teeth whitening techniques: method. allowance / I.M. Semchenko, A.I. Delendik. -Minsk: BSMU 2007;
4. Terekhova, N.V. The effectiveness of clinical whitening of pulpless teeth in young people / N.V. Terekhova // Present and future of postgraduate education: materials of the rep. scientific-practical conf., dedicated 75th anniversary of BelMAPo.-2006;
5. Addy, k The comparative tea staining potential of phenolic, chlorhexidine and anti-adhesive mouthrinses / A.Addy, J.Moran, R.Newcombe, P.Warren // J. Clin. periodontol. - 1995;
6. Sulieman M. An overview of tooth-bleaching techniques: chemistry, safety and efficacy / M.Sulieman // Periodontology. - 2008;
7. Vogel RI Intrinsic and extrinsic discolouration of the dentition / RI Vogel // J. Oral Med. - 1975;
8. Watts A. Tooth discolouration and staining / A.Watts, M.Addy // Br. Dent. J. - 2001. - N 190.

Why do teeth change color?

In order to properly conduct a consultation, a pharmacist or pharmacist must find out the cause of the defect. Dentists identify a number of factors that change the color of teeth:

1. Consumption of certain foods and drinks that contain natural or artificial colors: blueberries, chocolate, beets, black tea, coffee, dark juices, etc.
2. Bad habits. Smoking and chewing tobacco gives an unsightly yellow tint and spoils the overall condition of teeth.
3. Insufficient hygiene. Improper and irregular tooth brushing is the main factor in changing the shade of dentin
4. Caries and other dental diseases;
5. Internal causes: lack or excess of fluoride, metabolic disorders, genetic diseases
6. Fillings and restorations
7. Aging. Dentin turns yellow with age
8. Taking medications: tetracycline, iron and others
9. A combination of several reasons.

A pharmacist or pharmacist can help with the first three reasons. If systemic or dental diseases are suspected, the visitor should be advised to consult a doctor.

How to maintain the effect after home whitening

Just like after professional whitening, your teeth will need special care.

1. For 10–14 days after the procedure, follow a white diet. Eliminate from your diet food and drinks with natural and synthetic dyes - colored vegetables and fruits, tea, coffee, wine, as well as foods with acids. Acids are found in citrus fruits and sweet sodas - they soften the enamel, making it more vulnerable to pigments. Drink coloring drinks only through a straw.
2. If you do drink or eat something colored, rinse your mouth with mouthwash or at least plain water.
3. Maintain hygiene, do not forget about dental floss and brushes.
4. After whitening, use remineralizing pastes that will strengthen the enamel and protect it from exposure to food acids.

Types of teeth whitening

Whitening is a cosmetic procedure aimed at changing the color of dentin. It can be professional or home. Professional whitening (chemical/ultrasonic/laser/photo whitening) is performed by a dentist in an office or clinic. These methods are considered the safest and most effective.

For home whitening, traditional methods and special products are used. It is the latter that pharmacists and pharmacists deal with. In addition, these products may be recommended by dentists as the final stage of professional whitening, usually 2 weeks after the procedure. Special whitening products are given to the patient in the clinic, or he buys them at the pharmacy as prescribed by the doctor.

Carbamide peroxide-based products are widely used in both home and professional whitening. It consists of hydrogen peroxide and urea peroxide. When it hits the surface of a tooth, the substance disintegrates to form atomic oxygen. The latter penetrates the dentin and destroys the yellow pigment.

When carrying out the procedure in the clinic, high concentrations of carbamide peroxide of 10% and above are used. You need to be careful with them, as they can cause severe burns. To enhance the effect, the gel with the active substance is irradiated with special lamps. For home use, concentrations of the active substance range from 4 to 7.5%.

It is worth saying that this substance is approved by the American and Russian Dental Associations and recommended for use. Products that contain acids or abrasives should be used with extreme caution and it is best to consult a doctor before using them.

Is it possible to whiten artificial teeth?

Patients who have ceramic and plastic dentures are often concerned about the possibility of changing the color of the dentures. Hydrogen peroxide can only act on organic compounds. Therefore, artificial teeth cannot be whitened using conventional methods.

The best option would be the following sequence of actions:

• teeth whitening,
• installation of prostheses.

Otherwise, the artificial teeth will need to be replaced with new ones to match the new shade of the remaining teeth.

Extended teeth and fillings can also be whitened. If the patient nevertheless decides to undergo whitening, then new fillings will need to be installed. This is especially true in visible areas of the dentition.

Are there any contraindications?

There are several diseases and conditions for which professional and home whitening using products containing carbamide peroxide is not recommended:

1. Pregnancy and breastfeeding, as the procedure may cause increased sensitivity of the teeth.
2. Age up to 18 years. Before this period, the procedure cannot be carried out according to the instructions.
3. Cracks, chips. Damage and defects can cause the composition to penetrate deep into the tooth tissue and lead to a burn of the pulp.
4. Caries and carious cavities. If this problem is not eliminated before manipulation, the application of a bleaching agent will lead to softening of the dentin and aggravation of the disease.

Frequent mistakes and misconceptions

Before you begin enamel whitening, you need to treat your teeth for caries, relieve gum inflammation, if any, and also remove plaque - with highly abrasive pastes or in the chair of a dental hygienist. If there is plaque on the teeth, whitening procedures will not give the desired result.

You need to understand that not a single toothpaste will whiten yellowish teeth to snow-white ones in a couple of uses. To determine the color of tooth enamel, the Vita scale is used - it has 16 shades, divided into 4 groups. The Vita scale is used during whitening to determine the shade of teeth at the initial stage and observe how it changes as a result of the procedure.

Teeth whitening is not recommended for teenagers whose enamel and other tooth tissues are still developing. Whitening with peroxides should not be carried out during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Teeth whitening products in pharmacies

The pharmaceutical market offers the following products for home whitening:

Teeth Whitening Pencils

A whitening pencil is a small tube with an enamel-lightening component, which is distributed over the surfaces of the teeth with a brush or sponge. The hydrogen peroxide content in lightening pencils is quite low - no more than ten to fifteen percent, but this is enough to severely burn the soft and sensitive tissues of the mouth if used incorrectly. It is almost impossible to choose the right pencil based on peroxide concentration on your own, since each person has individual indicators of the density of the enamel layer and sensitivity. Therefore, it is also impossible to predict negative consequences after using a whitening pencil.

If you decide to try this particular product, we advise you to choose a product with a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide and be careful when applying it.

Instructions for using teeth whitening pencils are quite simple:

• Before using the pencil, be sure to clean your teeth with regular toothpaste and then rinse your mouth thoroughly.
• Wipe dental surfaces dry with a sterile cloth.
• Treat the surface of the teeth with whitening gel.
• After the procedure, you should not close your mouth for 7-10 minutes (exact instructions should be read in the instructions for the specific product).

After the specified time has passed, the mouth and teeth must be cleaned of any remaining gel. Pencils, like strips, are recommended to be used in a course of two weeks. It is also worth knowing that the effectiveness of using pencils will greatly depend not only on the individual characteristics of a person’s tooth enamel, but also on the presence of a number of bad habits.

Which method do you recommend?

The choice will primarily depend on the problem with which the visitor came to the pharmacy. If yellowness is associated with food, bad habits or insufficient hygiene, a pharmaceutical specialist may advise changing the usual paste to a whitening one and additionally offering mouth guards, gels, pencils or strips for use once a week or a short course (the course depends on the type of product).

It is also worth warning that the effect of home whitening will always be less pronounced than that of professional whitening. This will help eliminate objections in the future and prevent the formation of inflated expectations from the procedure. It is better to recommend products from the same series and line, since they usually complement each other and are compatible in composition.

When consulting, it is imperative to clarify whether the patient has caries, whether teeth have been restored or dentures have been installed. If you have cavities or black staining, it is important to recommend seeking help from a dentist. It is also necessary to refer the patient to a doctor if there is a suspicion of diseases of the internal organs, for example, liver diseases, diabetes, oncology, etc. You can assume this problem in a person by asking questions. If previously the color of the teeth was one, but then changed and other symptoms are observed: pain in a certain area, itching of the skin, excessive urination or sweating, etc., in this case it is definitely recommended to refer the patient to a doctor.

How do stars whiten their teeth?

A smile is the calling card of many celebrities. It is she who determines the overall impression, the appearance of a person, and, possibly, potential success. Therefore, celebrities do not skimp on dental procedures and invest a lot of money in their snow-white teeth. The stars use only the latest and proven methods of professional tooth enamel whitening.

Teeth whitening isn't everything. To maintain the result, you need to periodically clean your teeth enamel and use only special high-quality pastes for everyday oral care.

If you want to become the owner of a beautiful smile, do not experiment with products. The best option would be to see a specialist. After all, in order to choose the right whitening method, you need to correctly assess the condition of the oral cavity, teeth, the original color of the enamel and the desired result. If you decide to whiten your teeth at home, strictly follow the instructions and do not violate the whitening technology. Otherwise, you may harm your health and get negative results.

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Comments

Is it possible to smoke electronic cigarettes while undergoing a whitening toothpaste course?

Vita (09.12.2020 at 17:17) Reply to comment

Electronic cigarettes are filled with cartridges containing chemicals and dyes that can cause a change in the shade of enamel for the worse, as well as lead to increased sensitivity of hard tissues. Therefore, during the period of whitening procedures, as well as for at least 3-5 days after their completion, it is recommended to give up even electronic gadgets.

Editorial staff of the portal UltraSmile.ru (09.18.2020 at 09:54) Reply to comment

I heard that you can also whiten your teeth with brushes, is this really true?

love222 (10/01/2020 at 12:28 pm) Reply to comment

Indeed, some well-known manufacturers today offer the use of whitening toothbrushes, as well as special attachments with a whitening effect designed for electrical appliances. Such products promote intensive plaque removal, allow you to clean your teeth more efficiently, due to which the enamel becomes a little lighter (by no more than 1-2 tones). Whitening brushes can only be considered as an additional and preventive measure that will help prevent the accumulation of deposits and allow you to maintain the results of professional hygiene and various whitening procedures.

Editorial staff of the portal UltraSmile.ru (04.10.2020 at 09:41) Reply to comment

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Rinse liquids

Whitening liquids are one of the newest products for at-home teeth whitening. Like most mouthwashes, they freshen breath, help reduce plaque, and prevent gum disease. But these products also include ingredients, such as low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, that whiten teeth. Manufacturers claim that to obtain the desired result, it is necessary to use the liquid for 12 months, daily, twice a day before brushing your teeth. However, the rinse may not be as effective as using other whitening products because the whitening liquid only contacts the teeth for a short period of time (only 2 minutes compared to the 30 minutes required for most strips).

Below is a summary of some of the home whitening systems available on the market. The numbers indicating the concentration of the active substance given by manufacturers are not always correct. Sometimes the concentration is exaggerated for marketing purposes.

Whitening toothpastes

All toothpastes remove surface plaque from enamel because they contain mild abrasives. Some toothpastes with whitening properties contain mild polishes or chemical ingredients to provide additional effectiveness in removing plaque and stains. However, with the help of whitening toothpastes, you can only remove surface plaque and lighten your teeth by only one tone, while in a dental office, using professional whitening systems, you can lighten your teeth by 3-7 tones. If the paste contains abrasive particles, you should not use it constantly, as you can injure your tooth enamel.