Teeth Whiteners
The main cause of most tooth discoloration lies just at the surface of the enamel, where red wine, coffee and tea are the culprits. Colored molecules such as tannins and polyphenols, found in these beverages, become absorbed by the enamel's surface. Dark pigments in cigarettes, blueberries and other foods also can be deposited on your tooth enamel. Much of this staining can be brushed away, but over time these compounds can seep into the enamel, where you can't reach them with your brush.
Aging is another major culprit. As we grow older, our teeth gradually turn more yellow. On the other hand, the antibiotic tetracycline can turn children's teeth gray if taken during the early childhood, when tooth enamel has yet to harden completely, C&EN explains. Over time the antibiotic mixes with light and oxygen and gives teeth a grayish-blue tint that's hard to remove. All toothpastes depend on abrasives to scrub stains from the tooth surface. The first "toothpowder," invented in England in the late 1700s, like the first whiteners, was a bit harsh. It contained brick dust and ground-up cuttlefish as abrasives. Today toothpastes contain milder polishing agents such as silica, aluminum oxide, calcium phosphates and calcium carbonate.
If the stains are below the surface, however, you'll likely need whitening agents containing hydrogen peroxide, according to the news magazine. The tooth-whitening power of peroxide was first recognized by dentists in the early 1970s. They had been using an oral antiseptic containing peroxide to heal mouth sores when they realized it also brightened teeth. Today peroxide-based teeth-whiting gels are in millions of bathrooms across the nation.
Hydrogen peroxide whitens by forming radical intermediates (extremely unstable and destructive molecules) that then break down into water and oxygen. Researchers believe these radical intermediates react with pigments that stain teeth, at least in part by destroying the double-bond network that gives such compounds as polyphenols their color.
*This story has been adapted from a news release issued by American Chemical Society.
Side Effects
Side effects can and do occur with the at home teeth whitening technique. The two most common side effects are the creation (or increase) of hot and cold sensitivity in a person's teeth, and irritation of a person's gums. Other, less frequently encountered, side effects which have been reported by patients are: sore throat, tooth pain, tingling of the tissues, and headaches.
While the side effects a person encounters can be significant enough that the at home bleaching process must be discontinued, they are usually found to be minimal. One study asked participants to rate the discomfort associated with their side effects on a scale from 0 to 10, 10 being the most painful. Most respondents rated their side effects as a 1 or 2. In all cases, if you do notice any side effects during the bleaching process, you should report them to your dentist.
When just minor side effects have presented themselves a dentist will often simply recommend that the person just reduce the total number of hours their bleaching trays are worn each day, or recommend that the bleaching process only be performed on alternating days. Because both of these methods reduce a person's exposure to the teeth whitener, the side effects they have noticed will usually subside. In more severe cases a dentist may feel that palliative treatments, usually quite simple in nature, are indicated or else that the teeth whitening process should be stopped altogether.
Studies involving 10% carbamide peroxide whiteners have found minimal or no effect on the microhardness or mineral content of tooth enamel surfaces. Scanning electron microscope studies of the enamel of teeth which have been bleached have typically not shown any damage either. In relative terms, studies have shown that exposure to soft drinks and fruit juices cause comparable or greater alteration of tooth enamel than tooth whiteners.
Products
Now you can dazzle your friends and family with a new attractive smile without leaving the comfort of your home! Finally no more dentist visits, no more waiting for weeks to have a lab custom fit your mouthpiece. With the Tooth Whitener Complete Tooth Whitening kit you're just a click away from getting the white smile you've always dreamed of. The Tooth Whitener Complete Tooth Whitening Kit provides you with easy convenient foam disposable mouthpieces. Each disposable mouthpiece contains a powerful solution of (16 - 20% Carbamide Peroxide).
Just apply the foam mouthpieces for 15 minutes once a day for 5 consecutive days. You'll start to notice significant results within the first week of use!
Tooth Whitener Complete Tooth Whitener Kit
1 Week Supply ONLY $49.95
10 disposable foam mouth pieces with whitening gel (16 - 20% Carbamide Peroxide)
2 Week Supply - $99.95 Plus a Free Week
20 disposable foam mouth pieces with whitening gel (16 - 20% Carbamide Peroxide)
Plus a one free week supply - 10 disposable foam mouth pieces with whitening gel (16 - 20% Carbamide Peroxide)
Ordering Information
Perfecta 3/15
Whitening Chemical: 4.5% Hydrogen Peroxide, no Fluoride, no Potassium Nitrate.
Sensitivity Chemical: None
Base: Water Based
Wear Time: 1/2 hour twice a day.
Customer/Our Review: Although you have to only wear this solution 1/2 hour twice a day, it does require twice the solution to get your teeth white.
Perfecta 21%
Whitening Chemical: 21% Carbamide Peroxide
Sensitivity Chemical: None
Base: Water Based
Wear Time: 4 plus hours/over night use.
Customer/Our Review: Can have more sensitivity than 16% Perfecta, but gives you whiter teeth.
Perfecta 16%
Whitening Chemical: 16% Carbamide Peroxide
Sensitivity Chemical: None
Base: Water Based
Wear Time: 4 plus hours/over night use.
Customer/Our Review: Customers have mentioned mild irritation to the gums while using this product.
*all info from My Tooth Bleach
