What to do if the teeth are getting yellower and yellower? Do teeth whitening strips work?

Today, when the beauty of teeth is emphasized, many friends are eager to try teeth whitening products. After all, who doesn’t want to have beautiful white teeth? However, there are so many teeth whitening products on the market that many people don't know how to choose.

Whitening strips that can be effective within a week, toothpaste with whitening effect, overseas shopping whitening gel, cold light whitening, laser whitening, porcelain teeth... It is simply dazzling.

What are the pros and cons of these whitening products? Can it really make teeth white and shiny? What are the points to pay attention to when using it? Today we will take a good inventory.

01.

Dental treatment at home

Dental stickers

Tooth paste is simply a film patch made of tooth bleaching agent and high-viscosity hydrophilic gel. The active ingredients in the bleaching agent are generally peroxides, such as hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide . Generally not more than 15%. Peroxide reacts with the pigmentation on the teeth to achieve a bleaching effect by decolorizing the teeth.

The advantage of the toothpaste is that it is easy to operate, and the form of the patch can make the bleaching agent avoid the interference of saliva.

The disadvantage is that the dental strips cannot take care of all the teeth and all the tooth surfaces. If the teeth are not aligned or misaligned, the effect may be affected when used. The effect of using dental strips varies from person to person, and the maintenance time is not long-lasting. And some people may experience short-term soreness after using it.

Tooth bleaching agents belong to the third category of medical devices, but there is no industry standard for the dosage concentration. If the concentration is too low, the bleaching effect may not be good. If the concentration is too high, it will cause greater damage to the periodontal tissue.

Therefore, it is recommended to choose dental strips purchased from regular channels of big brands, such as those recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA).

Whitening Gel, Dental Pen

The active ingredients of the gel and toothpaste are the same as the strips, but they are used in a different way.

Applying the gel directly to the teeth may result in a shorter contact time between the bleach and the tooth surface compared to strips, affecting the whitening effect. Moreover, the applicator brushes for such products need to be reused, which may lead to microbial contamination.

whitening toothpaste

Compared with chemical whitening, toothpaste uses more physical decontamination , using abrasives to remove stains on the tooth surface, such as calcium carbonate, silicon dioxide, silica, aluminum oxide, etc. Some whitening toothpastes also add chelating agents such as sodium phytate and polyphosphate, which can form a thin film on the surface of the teeth to prevent the redeposition of tooth stains. There are also some whitening toothpastes that add blue pigment, which makes the teeth look whiter from the color contrast.

In short, the effect of whitening toothpaste is limited. Strictly speaking, it only removes stains on the surface of the teeth, and it needs to be used for a long time, and it can be reflected with correct oral care habits. It should be noted that no matter what the fancy toothpaste is, its basic function is to clean the mouth , so don't have too much hope for its advertised efficacy.

If you are willing to spend a high price to buy toothpaste with whitening effect, it is best to pay attention to the frequency of use to prevent excessive friction damage to teeth caused by a large amount of abrasives.

whitening mouthwash

Whitening mouthwashes usually contain low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (1.5%), and some also add the chelating agent sodium hexametaphosphate, which can inhibit the adsorption of staining chromogens on the tooth surface. Generally speaking, the whitening effect is average.

The Cochrane Library, an evidence-based medical institution, has published two reviews of home-based chemical whitening methods for adult teeth. The first review in 2006 showed that tooth whitening products were effective compared to placebo/no treatment. However, due to the low quality of research evidence included in most of them, the Cochrane Library updated another version of the review in 2018, incorporating new evidence from more clinical trials. Teeth whitening products in China can whiten teeth in a short period of time (2 weeks to 6 months), but the evidence for treatment is low, and some are even very low.

Therefore, the current evidence is insufficient to draw reliable conclusions about the superiority of home teeth whitening methods, concentrations, timing or duration of use.

As a consumer, before spending money to pay the bill, it is best to have a bottom line in your heart and not to have high expectations for its efficacy.

In addition, the health of the teeth is the prerequisite for using these whitening products . If you have problems with your teeth, such as calculus accumulation, cracked teeth, periodontitis, gingivitis and other periodontal diseases, it is recommended to take care of the health of your teeth first. Then consider whitening.

02.

Dental office whitening class

Laser whitening, cold light whitening

Laser whitening is to apply a higher concentration of peroxide bleaching agent to the surface of the teeth, and then give laser irradiation. The bleaching agent is decomposed under laser catalysis, and the whitening effect can be achieved to a greater extent.

Cold light whitening is to replace the light with high-intensity blue light (wavelength 480~520nm). Compared with lasers, cold light takes less time, does not generate heat, and is less irritating to the pulp. The common Beyond cold light whitening and white teeth whitening techniques belong to this category.

Because a high concentration of bleach is used, and it is used together with light, the whitening effect of laser and cold light is better . During the whitening process, the dentist will apply a protective agent on the lips and gums, so the risk control is higher.

Porcelain teeth, veneers, full crown restoration

All of the above listed are bleaching and whitening types, the main purpose is to restore the natural color of the teeth, while porcelain teeth, veneers, and full crown restorations are all covered types , which can be simply understood as using "whitening patches" to whiten the teeth. Cover up.

Veneers are generally made of resin or all-ceramic materials, which cover the teeth better, are wear-resistant, and last longer. And you can also communicate with the doctor to choose the color you like. If you want, it can be white enough to shine.

Veneer or full crown restoration requires partial grinding of the natural teeth during the operation, which will cause certain damage to the tooth tissue and is an irreversible operation. Improper grinding or handling can also cause a series of problems such as dentin sensitivity and gingivitis.

My personal suggestion is that except for the special needs of industries such as performing arts , conventional choices are strongly not recommended . If it is really necessary, it must be done in a regular oral medical institution, and the dentist will formulate a plan, and never do dental veneers in a beauty institution.

Of course, there is another downside, which is the higher price (no, that's my downside) .

03.

say at the end

Teeth are composed of enamel, dentin, pulp and cementum. The dentin is yellow and the enamel is translucent. Therefore, normal and healthy teeth are not bright and white, but light yellow.

If you want white teeth for aesthetic purposes, the more reliable option for home whitening is tooth whitening strips. Of course, the most reliable choice is to find a reliable dentist and listen to the doctor's opinion before making a decision.

In addition, the most basic thing to keep teeth clean is to do good oral hygiene care , including:

Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes

floss daily

Drink less coffee, tea, red wine, or rinse your mouth after drinking

quit smoking

Visit your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings