Trying to obtain the Hollywood smile with DIY solutions and at-home teeth whitening kits can cause gum sensitivity and even severe burns.
Everyone wants to have pearly white teeth like celebrities, but the Hollywood smile easy to obtain and maintain. Genetic factors play an important role, while colored foods (coffee, red wine, carrots, cherries) and bad habits such as smoking cause yellow or brown spots. Local dental clinics welcome patients with modern, safe and effective teeth whitening procedures, but they face serious competition from DIY teeth whitening kits and natural home remedies. Cheap and easy to find, they seem like the ultimate solution, but dentists warn that DIY remedies are not only ineffective, but also extremely dangerous. More and more oral health professionals report a dramatic increase in the number of patients who come to their office desperately seeking help after unpleasant side effects. In the worst cases, some patients even had to rush to the emergency room with severe complications.
Whitening strips cause pain and sensitivity
Drugstore whitening strips are the most popular player in the teeth whitening industry. Available in just about every store, often in bundle packs, these are very tempting due to their low price and ease of use. They are also heavily marketed: in addition to TV and Internet ads, whitening strips are being promoted by many fashion and beauty bloggers. But, dentists say, you shouldn’t let marketing fool you. Whitening stripts very effective, because you can only apply them on the visible part of the teeth, not in between them, so you will get an uneven result. Besides, when used more than once a year, whitening strips can lead to gum discoloration and gum sensitivity.
UV kits have adverse health effects,
UV teeth whitening is a controversial procedure in itself and there are divided opinions as to how safe UV rays are for gums. If this whitening procedure is potentially unsafe when done by a dentist, who could an untrained person do it without risking long term damage? New research has shown that at-home UV kits cause burns and enamel damage, so it should be avoided at all costs, especially by people who already have some form of gum disease.
Using natural remedies instead of whitening kits might sound like a great idea, but oral health professionals warn that natural doesn’t always equal healthy. Take bicarbonate, for example, the number one recommendation of health and lifestyle sites. It can be found in toothpaste, but only in small quantities that don’t harm your teeth, but, when used on its own causes considerable discomfort. Granted, it does make your teeth whiter, but at the cost of weakening the enamel and causing blisters. When combined with acids (such as lemon juice, another popular recommendation), bicarbonate increases sensitivity, causing burning or pain whenever you have hot or cold foods.
Information provided by: Mackenzie Dental Centre