Are All Teeth Whitening Products Effective?

Social media and magazines often talk about the latest trends, like charcoal activated products which are supposedly all you need to use in the comfort of your home to get that bright white smile. There are also countless websites that have thousands of search results for ‘teeth whitening products’.

There has never been so many teeth whitening products advertised as there is right now. The big question is, do any of them actually work?

There’s toothpastes, trays with gels, paint on products and many more. The short answer is that the shop bought products can often be highly ineffective. Although some might seem to appear to have an effect, none come close to having a real, safe and long-lasting impact on the colour of your teeth.

Why Aren’t Off the-shelf Teeth Whitening Products Effective?

The main component to consider when investigating whitening products, is the list of ingredients. The amount of active whitening ingredient that is required is insufficient to effectively whiten your teeth. The amount of active ingredient / bleaching agent that is legally allowed in over the counter dental products in Australia is too little to have any noticeable effect. If a product doesn’t contain hydrogen or carbamide peroxide, it is not going to whiten your teeth.

The most that some ‘whitening toothpastes’ or kits may do is remove surface stains, however this is not necessarily always a good thing. If what you are applying to your teeth is too abrasive it may wear the enamel of your teeth, giving you a short-term whiter looking smile, but in the long term damaging your teeth. Unfortunately, once you wear away your enamel, it’s gone forever and can cause major long-term sensitivity.

Professional Whitening

There are many factors to consider such as your overall oral health (if you have gum disease and receding gums, for example, you need to be using a lower strength bleaching gel). If you have any cavities or broken down teeth, whitening may also not be advised until prior treatment is provided.

Following an initial consultation with one of our practitioners, we will discuss all of your treatment options for a beautiful smile, be that whitening, hygiene treatments, cosmetic tweaks (such as composite bonding or veneers), orthodontics or a combination of these.

Whitening treatments will not have any effect on fillings, crowns, veneers or dentures. However, there are options we can discuss to help you here at Armadale Dental Group.

Schedule an appointment with one of our experienced dentists at Armadale Dental Group to find out if professional teeth whitening would be best for you. We can go through your options and determine the best possible outcome for you.