The Safest Teeth Whitening

As you probably already know, there are many types of teeth whitening choices on the market. From toothpaste that guarantees a sparkling smile to LED light treatments that promise to whiten your teeth by 12 shades or more, you have your choice from a variety of options in a range of price brackets. 

Right off, let’s eliminate some of the less effective methods of teeth whitening. For example, teeth whitening toothpaste can do a good job of removing surface stains from your teeth; that is, stains on the level of the enamel. But if you have stains or discoloration on the dentin level, beneath the enamel, the toothpaste option is useless. 

On the other end of the spectrum are the futuristic-looking LED light teeth whitening trays. While they’re not unsafe and don’t cause harm, they also don’t do anything to whiten your teeth more than the solution you put on your teeth before applying the light. Dentists may use UV light to help speed up teeth whitening, but this type of light is highly regulated and available only in the dentist’s office.

The most effective over-the-counter teeth whitening options are teeth whitening strips and trays. So what are the qualities that make one teeth whitening kit safer than another? There are a few important things to keep in mind.

First, you want to find a teeth whitening kit that uses a solution made of carbamide peroxide, not hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is more aggressive and can cause damage to your teeth and soft tissues like your gums, cheeks, and lips. Also, hydrogen peroxide can cause a great deal of pain for you if you already have sensitive teeth. If you don’t already have sensitive teeth, hydrogen peroxide whitening solutions can cause your teeth to become sensitive by breaking down the enamel layer of your teeth. 

Another ingredient to look out for is sodium chlorite, which is found in some teeth whitening options. This is legal to use, but scientific data has shown that it also causes harm to the enamel, leading to overly sensitive and potentially painful teeth. In addition, charcoal whitening toothpaste has been found by dental professionals to be too abrasive and it actually erodes the enamel on the surface of your teeth. 

There is another danger with each of the above-mentioned ingredients. Imagine you are whitening your teeth with a product containing one of these damaging ingredients and you have a cavity and tooth decay that you were not aware of. You would quickly be made aware of it after applying any of these ingredients to it because it would cause a great deal of pain. It could also enlarge the decayed portion of the tooth.