I’ve been considering getting my teeth whitened. My dentist has a great in-office program that allows you to whiten in just one appointment. However, when I found out the price I was a bit discouraged. I’m considering getting teeth whitening strips. Are they safe? Will they damage my enamel?
Miranda
Dear Miranda,
Considerations with Teeth Whitening Stirps
Using over-the-counter teeth whitening strips, such as Crest Whitening will not damage your enamel. However, there are some considerations to make before settling on a final decision.
Recent studies seem to indicate they could damage the dentin. Before I go into why, I want to clarify that this was a small study and they haven’t evaluated whether or not the dentin regenerates. Unlike tooth enamel, dentin can heal. That being said, Kelly Keenan, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at Stockton University in New Jersey, found in her research that the whitening strips damaged the collagen in the tooth’s dentin.
Another consideration is gum sensitivity. These strips are made of peroxide. While this chemical does a great job getting rid of bad bacteria, it doesn’t distinguish between healthy and unhealthy tissue. There is nothing to protect your gums from the gel getting on your gums, which could lead to sensitivity.
There are limitations with the strips too. They only cover parts of the first few teeth. If you have a smile wider than four teeth, as most people do, you’ll need to use several strips each time. In addition to being small, they’re also flat (unlike your teeth). Trying to get a flat surface evenly onto a rounded one won’t happen. However, the strips aren’t very strong, so that isn’t likely to be a huge problem.
Consider Take-Home Teeth Whitening
While your dentist offers Zoom Whitening, if that is out of your price range, you could ask your dentist to make you a pair of custom-fitted take-home whitening trays. This enables you to get the professional strength whitening gel, but at a fraction of the cost of Zoom Whitening.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.