There are a multitude of products out there offering whiter teeth from toothpastes to whitening strips to in-office, light-based products. If you are uncertain as to which product is the best choice, you are not alone. There is a huge market behind whitening products and many of the studies showing their effectiveness are paid for by the same people selling the product(s). I would like to discuss these to help provide some insight
If you are considering whitening your teeth, you may recognize a number of benefits to whitening. The biggest downside to whitening is temperature sensitivity, which is typically transient and tends to go away on its own. You can also use desensitizers and other fluoride-based products to aid with this sensitivity issue.
There are two main approaches to achieve whiter teeth. The method relied on by toothpaste manufacturers is to remove the stains on the outer surface of your enamel. However, although whitening toothpastes, activated charcoals, etc. may remove staining, they are very abrasive to the point that you may actually brush away micro amounts of enamel or the outer layer of your teeth.
Another alternative to whiten is by using a peroxide-based product, although these products are not all the same. When it comes to peroxide-based products, there are both in-office and over-the-counter options. The big over-the-counter product you may have heard of is the Crest Whitening Strip system. I find that the Crest system is both expensive over time and only around 5% peroxide leaches away from the strips. Crest also sells a “professional strength” version of these strips, but I would also suggest against them.
In general, we recommend the gold standard of whitening products: dentist-produced whitening trays with a 15-20% carbamide peroxide gel. Carbamide peroxide works to whiten the outer layer of your enamel, but does so without causing abrasion or loss of tooth structure. Depending on how often you want to whiten, additional tubes of gel can be purchased to be used with the same trays.
It is also important to touch on the light-based, in-office whitening products like Xoom whitening. In addition to being a peroxide based system, these systems also use a light application. Multiple studies have been performed to examine the effectiveness of incorporating light in these systems and have been shown to have no effect on how well the peroxide works. What these systems rely on is higher strength peroxide in the range of 30%, which can become very painful very quickly. Additionally, because it is typically a one shot deal, the effects wear off much more quickly than the at-home systems where you can continue as needed.
If you have any questions regarding whitening or any other dental concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 360-629-7229.