Teeth Whitening – Safety Considerations

What to be aware of when considering whitening

The teeth whitening or ‘bleaching’ procedure is probably the most well-known and popular cosmetic dental treatment currently available. Popularised by TV celebrities and actors alike, its affordability has put it within the reach of a large section of the population.

There is no doubting its effectiveness in producing a more attractive smile, but, understandably, some people may have concerns about whether it is safe or not.

In today’s blog, your friendly Bedford dentists will take a look at this treatment and the various ‘alternatives’ to having it done within a professional dental environment. For those that want to improve the appearance of their teeth but don’t want to risk their oral health in doing so, this blog is for you.

Professional teeth whitening

First of all, it is important to say that, at The Dental Centre Bedford, we believe that not only the safest, but most effective way to whiten your teeth to your satisfaction is to have this done by a qualified and experienced dentist. Although it may cost you a little more, albeit still at an affordable price, you will receive a consultation to discuss the degree of whiteness that you hope for and will also receive a full oral health check in advance. There is little point in whitening a tooth that is decaying, for example.

The treatment that we use here is a custom home teeth whitening kit.  This varies significantly to the kits that can be bought at chemists and which we will discuss later. The one that we provide includes a tray into which the whitening gel is placed. These are made following impressions that we take of your teeth and are designed to fit your teeth only. This ensures a secure and comfortable fit which not only makes the experience of wearing them more comfortable but also ensures that the gel remains where it should and helps to prevent it from leaking onto the soft tissue of the gum etc, potentially causing irritation.

The gel will be adjusted to your own needs and you will be given full instructions on how to proceed, and of course, members of our team are available for you in the unlikely event that you have any problems or wish to discuss anything further with us.

This method of whitening the teeth is perfectly safe and can be repeated as necessary to maintain a white smile ongoing.

Off the shelf kits

As mentioned above, you can buy whitening kits off the shelf. These are unlikely to work as well as a professional whitening though and are not without their risks.

First of all, you should be aware that the strength of the whitening gel won’t be as strong as that which we can provide. This is for legal, health and safety reasons. Despite this though, it is significantly stronger than in teeth whitening toothpastes and could still cause damage to the soft tissues of the mouth if it comes into contact with them. This risk of this is heightened as the trays are not made for you as an individual and offer a ‘one size fits all’ approach. This could potentially lead to the gel leaking into the oral cavity. Our view is that whilst this method can provide some improvements to your teeth, there are associated risks to understand.

Teeth whitening toothpastes

Whilst these are safe to use, they are generally quite ineffective. Because of the nature of toothpaste, and perhaps the fact that young children seem to love to eat it, the strength of the whitening ingredient is very low. Few people will notice any significant benefit although they may be of some limited use in maintaining whiteness following a cosmetic procedure. One thing to watch for though is those which contain additional abrasive elements as these can sometimes damage tooth enamel over time, leading to erosion and potentially painfully sensitive teeth. This is particularly so if the paste is used over-zealously.

Teeth whitening ‘boutiques’

This one is a big ‘no no’ and is now illegal. Unfortunately, there are still people that will try to bypass the law in various ways or simply take the risk because of the money. There is a reason that these ’boutiques’ are illegal and, unfortunately, a number of people discovered this the hard way. By having their teeth whitened by inexperienced or unethical people who used a whitening bleach that was far too strong, permanent damage was caused. Please do not use these illegal outlets and report any that you come across to the relevant authorities.

Online teeth whitening

There has been a surge in activity surrounding this. Although this is usually provided by professionals (although if you opt for this method, please do your due diligence first), we feel that it can’t offer the same service that can be provided by your local dental practice. You may save a small amount of money by using these outlets but we feel that the savings simply don’t outweigh the benefits of having this treatment carried out professionally with face to face supervision and guidance.

DIY teeth whitening

Especially in difficult times financially, it is only natural that we look for shortcuts and cheaper ways to do things. There are, however, certain areas in life where this is definitely inadvisable, with your own oral health care being one of these. Inevitably, a lot of people will google terms such as ‘home teeth whitening’. This may result in them discovering whitening treatments that can be done at home using everyday ingredients. Some of these, such as the use of milk, are next to harmless and also basically useless. There are others though which, in theory, can work to a degree but are very risky. Most of these use a form of bleach, including household bleach. We hopefully don’t need to tell you how dangerous that could be, both for your teeth and for your general health.

One common DIY treatment which may seem safe at a first glance is the use of lemon juice. Whilst this won’t harm your health, as such, it is very important to remember that lemon juice is highly acidic. Brushing your teeth with this will very likely cause the enamel surface of your teeth to erode quite quickly. This means that not only are overly sensitive teeth very likely but that your teeth will be at a greater risk of tooth decay too. Please avoid any DIY treatments at all costs.

Hopefully, this blog has proved useful to you and if you are looking to whiten your teeth, we hope that you now understand why we recommend that you have this done professionally. If you would like to find out more about teeth whitening, or would like to arrange a consultation to discuss this with us, you can do so by calling The Dental Centre Bedford on 01234 819868. We look forward to helping you achieve a great looking smile, safely and cost-effectively.