2008 Woodie Awards
Science Q & A
Q. How safe is tooth whitening?
Rachael Federico
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: Sci/Tech
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A. The short answer to this question is pretty safe, if it is done correctly. However, knowing me, you do not expect a one line response, do you? According to online articles, teeth whitening sales are expected to ring up at 1.7 billion dollars, for a single fiscal year, as the result of business from over ten-million American consumers.
Teeth, as you probably know, are covered with a hard layer-the tooth enamel. Over time, colored grime, referred to as pellicule film, can build up over the enamel. These stains on your pearly whites are most often caused by dark foods and beverages. Common culprits include coffee, tea, red wine, soda, cranberry and grape juice, soy sauce, and cigarette smoke. Basically, if the stain is hard to get out of a white carpet, it is going to be hard to get off your teeth. Regular trips to the dentist and good brushing habits help remove the pellicule film from the enamel and keep the teeth brighter. Whitening toothpastes are specially designed to contain more abrasive elements to help scrape off the film. Certainly, however, these measures are not capable of completely removing all of the grime. To make matters worse, the enamel is, at least, slightly porous. That means that long-standing stains can leach into the tooth. Of course, a discoloration of the enamel itself is much harder to remove than a superficial film, which is why the sales for whitening services and products are so high.
The whitening process works through an oxidation reaction. Howstuffworks.com explains that, "the whiteners use bleaching chemicals to get down into the tooth enamel and set off a chemical reaction…that breaks apart the staining compounds. Most tooth whiteners use one of two chemical agents: carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide (the same stuff that will bleach your hair). When used in the mouth, carbamide peroxide breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and urea, with hydrogen peroxide being the active whitening ingredient." When this process occurs in a dentist's office, she/he cleans the teeth thoroughly. She/he must also protect the gums from the strong chemicals with some sort barrier before applying the whitening gel/paste to the teeth. The gel must sit for a few minutes, and then it is removed and reapplied, probably several times.
Teeth, as you probably know, are covered with a hard layer-the tooth enamel. Over time, colored grime, referred to as pellicule film, can build up over the enamel. These stains on your pearly whites are most often caused by dark foods and beverages. Common culprits include coffee, tea, red wine, soda, cranberry and grape juice, soy sauce, and cigarette smoke. Basically, if the stain is hard to get out of a white carpet, it is going to be hard to get off your teeth. Regular trips to the dentist and good brushing habits help remove the pellicule film from the enamel and keep the teeth brighter. Whitening toothpastes are specially designed to contain more abrasive elements to help scrape off the film. Certainly, however, these measures are not capable of completely removing all of the grime. To make matters worse, the enamel is, at least, slightly porous. That means that long-standing stains can leach into the tooth. Of course, a discoloration of the enamel itself is much harder to remove than a superficial film, which is why the sales for whitening services and products are so high.
The whitening process works through an oxidation reaction. Howstuffworks.com explains that, "the whiteners use bleaching chemicals to get down into the tooth enamel and set off a chemical reaction…that breaks apart the staining compounds. Most tooth whiteners use one of two chemical agents: carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide (the same stuff that will bleach your hair). When used in the mouth, carbamide peroxide breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and urea, with hydrogen peroxide being the active whitening ingredient." When this process occurs in a dentist's office, she/he cleans the teeth thoroughly. She/he must also protect the gums from the strong chemicals with some sort barrier before applying the whitening gel/paste to the teeth. The gel must sit for a few minutes, and then it is removed and reapplied, probably several times.
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