A perfect smile, among other qualities, characterizes healthy teeth, and a perfect smile centers around pearly white teeth, ordered dentition and more. Hence, a perfectly ordered dentition and no white teeth cannot be described as the perfect smile. Sadly, several factors can contribute to tinted and colored teeth; some are avoidable, and some are unavoidable. Fortunately, though, there are measures to help improve the color of the teeth. One of these measures is teeth whitening, which has proven efficient for extended periods.
Teeth whitening is a dental procedure in which a specific solution is used to bleach or decolor the teeth, making them whiter. The solution removes stains from the teeth through oxidation, releasing hydrogen peroxide, and the oxygen molecules extract the stain particle from the teeth enamels. The solution or bleaching agent used for this procedure is one of two solutions, hydrogen peroxide, and Carbamide peroxide. They both remove stains on the teeth through oxidation, thus, lightening the teeth’ color.
As expected, there are two views on teeth whitening, the one that believes it is an effective measure to obtain pearly white teeth and the other that believe otherwise. The views can be classified as facts and myths, but it can be challenging to tell the facts from the myths, thus, giving you a wrong ideology on teeth whitening. Luckily, this article will outline some everyday opinions on teeth whitening and specify which is a myth and which is true.
Everyday Opinions on Teeth Whitening
These are some of the opinions you hear every day about teeth whitening:
- Teeth whitening ruins teeth enamel
- Teeth whitening is not safe
- All teeth whitening gels (solutions) are the same
- Accelerated light for teeth whitening does not yield results
- Only a dentist can give professional teeth whitening results
- Only teeth-whitening gels made in specific countries are safe
- You need customized mouthguards to get excellent teeth whitening results.
- All teeth are similar; thus, teeth whitening results should be similar.
- Teeth whitening cannot be done with caps, crowns, and dentures present in the mouth
- Teeth Whitening Ruins Teeth Enamel, Myth or Not?
The validity of this statement depends on the context behind it. It is false if it is from a generalized point of view on all teeth whitening gels and procedures. But if it considers specific factors, there can be some truth. Both solutions/gels used for teeth whitening oxidize to produce two elements, hydrogen, and oxygen, and both are not harmful to the teeth.
However, considering we have variations for the bleaching solutions/gels used for teeth whitening, some gels can cause harm to the teeth. Variations like acidic hydrogen peroxide teeth wash, but the safe variations are the solutions with a balanced pH.
- Teeth Whitening is Not Safe, Myth or Not?
Teeth whitening has been around for over a century and was formally known as teeth bleaching. In these years, the procedure has remained safe with less severe risks, provided the procedure is done in a specified manner and with specific instructions. The primary bleaching agent that has been used since its inception is hydrogen peroxide, and this solution poses little risk to the teeth provided it is used under controlled situations and with specified instructions.
The acceptable margin between safe and risky teeth whitening depends on two significant factors, the exposure time of the teeth enamel and soft tissues in the mouth, like the lips, to the bleaching gel and tooth sensitivity. Hence, if an individual with sensitive teeth leaves the bleaching gel in their mouth for an extended period, they will experience some irritations on their lips and inner mouth and increased teeth sensitivity. Still, these effects only persist for a short period; thus, paying attention to the instructions accompanying the bleaching gel is essential.
- All Teeth Whitening Gels are The same, Myth or Not?
This opinion is out rightly false, and the price of the bleaching gels should tell you better. There are low-end bleaching gels that do not yield results, and there are professional bleaching gels that are the best bet for excellent teeth-whitening results. As mentioned earlier, there are mainly two professional bleaching gels, Carbamide and hydrogen peroxide. They both release similar elements for bleaching the teeth, but the amounts in which these elements are released vary for each bleaching gel.
The hydrogen peroxide bleaching gels release a significant amount of the bleaching elements quickly; thus, the results are faster. In contrast, Carbamide peroxide acts slower, as the number of elements it releases is smaller than hydrogen peroxide; thus, a specific measure is used to speed up the results when using this solution.
- Accelerated Lights for Teeth Whitening Do Not Yield Results, Myth or Not?
This would have been true if we did not have instant teeth whitening procedures in dental clinic today. Accelerator lights quicken the reaction time of Carbamide peroxide bleaching gel, making the results quicker. In some cases, using accelerator lights for teeth whitening does not work, thus, giving the above opinion strength. These cases consider various factors and these factors include:
- Variation in accelerator light technology, where some accelerator lights expose the teeth to severe risks when used.
- Where the mouth tray used during teeth whitening has properties that repel the light spectrum from the accelerator light, thus, rendering it ineffective.
- Only a Dentist Offers Professional Teeth Whitening Results, Myth or Not?
This statement would have been confirmed when dentists monopolized this aspect of dentistry. Still, it is invalid, given that several professional teeth whitening kits are on sale. These kits come with the needed teeth-whitening materials and adequate instructions to guide you through a safe teeth-whitening procedure with minimal risks.
However, the teeth whitening offered by the dentist yields results that are unrivaled by the results from a do-it-yourself teeth whitening. This is because the dentist’s expertise allows them to use strong bleaching gels with a pH higher than those provided in a professional kit, and the procedure is shorter than do-it-yourself’s.
- All Teeth are Similar; Thus, Teeth Whitening Results Should be Similar, Myth or Not?
This opinion is common among those who want that “Hollywood smile” that celebrities possess. Firstly, teeth are composed of genetics; since genes have particular qualities, the teeth also have particular qualities. Plus, the celebrity smiles you see are not a result of teeth whitening alone; they also subscribe to other dental measures and procedures. Hence, teeth whitening gels produce results based on your genetic makeup. If your family has a history of colored teeth, this procedure helps brighten yours but does not assure sparkly and pearly whites.
Conclusion
If there is one thing that can mess up your perception of a topic is believing myths to be the truth, and teeth whitening is not exempted. Hence, this article has outlined some common opinions while clearly stating whether they are myths.