Teeth Whiteners For (temporary) Pearly Whites

Wednesday October 25, 2006 in: Dental Care Tag(s):

The expression "flashing your pearly-whites" may hold true for some people, but far too many people just can't lay claim to having them. This is the reason why many resort to using teeth whitening products sold in stores and in dentists' offices, to spruce up their smiles.

The question is, do they work? Apparently, they do, at least briefly.

CBS News cites a WebMD report on the review conducted by University of Michigan School of Dentistry Hana Hasson and her colleagues of 25 studies on at-home tooth-whitening products.

In the reviewed studies, patients used various tooth-whitening gels and strips. For comparison, some got placebos, which contain no active ingredients.

The review shows that the tooth-whitening products did what they promised to do - make teeth whiter. As expected, the placebo was a dental dud.

But a word of caution: the reviewers have found out that teeth whiteners do have side effects, most common among them are mild to moderate tooth sensitivity and gum irritation. These side effects, the reviewers note, are most apparent in products that contain high levels of hydrogen peroxide. They also add that refraining from further using these products might just make these side effects go away.

The reviewers, however, do admit the lack of information on the long-term benefits and adverse effects of teeth whiteners. They could only recommend that based on their review, "over-the-counter or dentist-dispensed tooth-whitening products can be recommended to the public but with strong cautions."