At home, we often see patients looking to whiten their teeth through toothpastes or even teeth whitening strips. These may be a tempting trend for someone who is looking to control the whiteness of their smile, but studies have now shown that these are harmful to teeth.
At-Home Teeth Whitening Dangers
When you use teeth whitening products, they are able to remove surface stains so you may think that your teeth appear “whiter” and cleaner or brighter. Not so. What is really happening is a temporary whitening of the teeth.
The problem with this temporary teeth whitening is that it also causes permanent damage to your teeth. This permanent damage is caused by microscopic scratches in the tooth enamel surface that jumpstart the decaying process. This is why many people experience tooth sensitivity from using whitening strips on a constant basis.
The way toothpaste works is as a lubricant and as a detergent. It removes things that you do not want. To safely clean your teeth, however, you need to avoid all toothpastes that claim that they can whiten your teeth or remove stains from smoking. These toothpastes contain harmful ingredients that will cause those microscopic scratches on your tooth enamel surface.
Professional Teeth Whitening
If you really do want to have safe teeth whitening done, then it would be best to visit your dentist and have it done professionally with safe materials. Dentists are able to safely clean teeth and apply whitening treatments without harming the teeth or the gums.
While it may be tempting to opt for a less expensive treatment, it comes at a cost to the well being and the future of your teeth. Your teeth will be with you (hopefully) for the rest of your life and we want to keep it that way.
To whiten your teeth, make sure that you visit a dentist who can help you without damaging your teeth or your gums. It is possible to whiten your teeth, but the teeth whitening process requires proper materials and a proper procedure that can only be done in a dental office.
