Many people whiten their teeth. Some at thedentist, others get their own equipment and do it at home.
But is teeth whitening actually harmful?
Elderly people want whiter teeth – it ischallenging
Line Bjerklund Pedersen is a dentist. Sheis also the head of the ethics council of the Norwegian Dental Association. Shementions that the treatment is mainly for cosmetic purposes and is unnecessary.More concerning is that it could potentially damage the enamel.
According to Pedersen, the teeth of olderindividuals are particularly more susceptible to damage.
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Moreover, whitening teeth that changecolour with age is challenging.
“It’s almost impossible. Every whiteningwill also fade. If you continue to whiten them, there’s a very high chance ofdamaging your teeth,” she says.
Pedersen says they can become more brittle andmore easily stained by things like wine and coffee. The enamel can becomeporous and weakened.
Aida Mulic is a senior researcher at theNordic Institute of Dental Materials (NIOM). She points out the same:Discolouration due to ageing is difficult to address.
Pedersen says that it is still mostly youngpeople who want to whiten their teeth. It's not risk-free for them either.
Risk of teeth sensitivity
Mulic is clear that teeth whitening withmodern methods and under controlled conditions at the dentist’s is gentle.
However:
“The whitening agent is acidic and notsomething we recommend using too often,” Mulic says.
Teeth whitening is a treatment. A treatmentshould always be carried out based on a diagnosis, according to dental ethicsrules.
An important step is to find out if thepatient benefits from the treatment. Often, this is only known once thetreatment has started, she says.
Some patients experience side effects sosevere that the treatment is discontinued.
“Some patients report sensitivity. It’s areaction in the nerve. It’s not dangerous but feels unpleasant. It usuallypasses,” Mulic says.
Gentler than fillings and veneers
Many benefit from teeth whitening, Mulicasserts. By this, she means as a treatment for health reasons, not cosmetic.
“Teeth whitening is effective if thereis a justified reason for undergoing the treatment,” she says.
There can be several reasons for discolouredteeth. Some patients have suffered damage to their teeth causing a greyishcolour. Or there could be issues with the enamel development.
“In such cases, teeth whitening is a gentlermethod than fillings, crowns, laminates, and veneers,” she says.
Mulic believes more people should embracethe natural colour of healthy teeth.
Problematic that people can buy theequipment themselves
“There’s a lot out there on the market that’snot legal to buy or sell in Norway. Yet, patients still get hold of it,” Mulicsays.
“It’s problematic that people can buy theseproducts themselves. Patients order the equipment from cosmetics stores or online.We don’t have complete control over what’s being used out there.”
She says there’s a huge online market andassumes more people whiten their teeth themselves than at the dentist.
If you go to the dentist for teethwhitening, you get a custom-fitted tray. It’s filled with whitening gel andused according to the dentist's recommendations over a certain period of time.
The recommendations and the treatment are tailoredto you.
The same is not true if you buy teethwhitening products in a cosmetic store.
Common to have chemical burn injuries
The agent used for whitening at the dentisthas the concentration needed to achieve a whitening effect.
“The products available for purchase eitherhave too low a concentration to be effective, or too high a concentration, and areillegal to buy or sell here,” Mulic says.
“The trays that often come with these kits aretoo spacious, not individually fitted. The whitening agent can spill onto thegums and cause chemical burns.”
Such chemical burns are unfortunatelycommon, says Mulic. Dentists would very much prefer you to not use DIYwhitening kits.
But is it easier said than done if thedentist refuses you treatment?
“It’s an ethical dilemma. This doesn't justapply to teeth whitening, but other issues as well,” Mulic says.
Some people have good, healthy teeth but stillwant to grind them down and put on veneers.
Pedersen argues that dentists should avoidoffering teeth whitening services altogether, except when there is a health-relatedreason for doing so.
Possible to remove discolouration at thedentist, without whitening
“All food that has colourants, like coffee,tea, and blueberry jam, can cause discolouration,” Mulic says.
But this discolouration can often be polishedaway. It lies on the surface, she explains.
Often, visiting the dentist and gettingyour teeth polished with a dental polishing paste is sufficient.
However, you should be careful with usingtoothpastes containing a lot of abrasives over time, she continues.
Some have more sensitive enamel
"Max white products aredesigned to remove discolouration. You should not use only such products, asthey contain more abrasive substances than regular toothpaste. You don't knowhow they affect your teeth over a long period of time,” she says.
This can also vary from person to person.Some have more sensitive enamel, which can become especially quickly worn downby the abrasives.
Mulic encourages us to think more abouthealthy teeth than white teeth. She offers a tip you may have heard before:
“To maintain teeth and prevent cavities, it’simportant to brush twice a day with a toothpaste that contains fluoride.”
You can read more about why fluoride is soimportant in thisarticle from earlier this year.
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik
Readthe Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no
