Many people whiten their teeth. Some at the dentist, others get their own equipment and do it at home.
But is teeth whitening really harmful?
Older people want whiter teeth – it’s hard
Line Bjerklund Pedersen is a dentist. He is also head of the ethics board of the Norwegian Dental Association. She states that grooming is mainly for cosmetic purposes and is unnecessary. More worryingly, it could potentially damage the enamel.
According to Pedersen, the teeth of older people are especially more prone to damage.
In addition, whitening teeth that change color with age is challenging.
“It’s almost impossible. Any bleaching will also fade. If you continue to whiten them, there is a very high chance that you will damage your teeth,” he says.
Pedersen says they can become more brittle and stain more easily from things like wine and coffee. Enamel can become porous and weaken.
Aida Mulic is a senior researcher at the Nordic Institute of Dental Materials (NIOM). She makes the same point: Age-related discoloration is difficult to treat.
Pedersen says it’s still mostly young people who want to whiten their teeth. It’s not safe for them either.
Risk of tooth sensitivity
Mulic is clear that teeth whitening with modern methods and under controlled conditions at the dentist is gentle.
However:
“Bleach is acidic, and it’s not something we recommend using very often,” says Mulic.
Teeth whitening is a treatment. A treatment must always be carried out on the basis of a diagnosis, according to the rules of dental ethics.
An important step is to find out if the patient is benefiting from the treatment. Often, this is known only after treatment begins, he says.
Some patients experience side effects so severe that treatment is discontinued.
“Some patients report sensitivity. It is a reaction to the nerve. It is not dangerous but it feels unpleasant. It usually passes,” says Mulic.
Softer than fillings and veneers
Many benefit from teeth whitening, says Mulic. By this, he means as a treatment for health reasons, not cosmetics.
“Teeth whitening is effective if there is a valid reason to undergo the treatment,” he says.
There can be several reasons for discolored teeth. Some patients have damaged their teeth causing a grayish color. Or there may be problems with enamel development.
“In such cases, teeth whitening is a gentler method than fillings, crowns, laminates and veneers,” he says.
Mulic believes more people should embrace the natural color of healthy teeth.
Problematic that people can buy the equipment themselves
“There is a lot out there on the market that is not legal to buy or sell in Norway. But patients still get it,” says Mulic.
“It’s problematic that people can buy these products on their own. Patients order the equipment from cosmetic stores or online. We don’t have full control over what’s being used out there.”
He says there’s a huge online market and guesses more people whiten their teeth on their own than at the dentist.
If you go to the dentist for teeth whitening, you will have a customized tray. It is filled with whitening gel and used according to the dentist’s recommendations for a certain period of time.
Recommendations and treatment are tailored to you.
The same is not true if you buy teeth whitening products at a cosmetic store.
It is common to have chemical burn injuries
The agent used for whitening at the dentist has the concentration required to achieve a whitening effect.
“The products available for purchase are either too low in concentration to be effective, or too high in concentration and are illegal to buy or sell here,” says Mulic.
“The trays that often come with these kits are very spacious, they don’t fit separately. The bleaching agent can spill onto the gums and cause chemical burns.”
Such chemical burns are unfortunately common, says Mulic. Dentists would much rather you not use a DIY whitening kit.
But is it easier said than done if your dentist refuses treatment?
“It’s a moral dilemma. This applies not only to teeth whitening, but also to other issues,” says Mulic.
Some people have good, healthy teeth but still want to have them ground and veneered.
Pedersen argues that dentists should avoid offering teeth whitening services altogether unless there is a health-related reason to do so.
Able to remove discoloration at the dentist, without bleaching
“All foods that have dyes, like coffee, tea, and blueberry jam, can cause discoloration,” says Mulic.
But this discoloration can often be polished off. It’s on the surface, he explains.
Often, visiting the dentist and polishing your teeth with dental polishing paste is sufficient.
However, you should be careful about using toothpastes that contain a lot of abrasives over time, he continues.
Some have more sensitive enamel
“Max white products are designed to remove discoloration. You should not use only such products, as they contain more abrasive substances than regular toothpaste. You don’t know how they affect your teeth over a long period of time,” he says.
This can also vary from person to person. Some have more sensitive enamel, which can be worn down particularly quickly by abrasives.
Mulic encourages us to think more about healthy teeth than white teeth. He offers a tip you may have heard before:
“To maintain teeth and prevent cavities, it’s important to brush twice a day with a toothpaste that contains fluoride.”
You can read more about why fluoride is so important in this article from earlier this year.
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik
Read the Norwegian version of this article at forskning.no
