If you knew this earlier, would you still choose to whiten your teeth?

In today's age of white beauty, white skin and white teeth are the standard of "white, rich and beautiful" and "white, thin and young". Therefore, teeth whitening products have always been popular among young people. Although some teeth whitening methods seem to be effective, they actually have many hidden dangers. Therefore, before deciding to undergo teeth whitening, please do the following homework.

What methods can make teeth whiter?

As the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome, and there is more than one way to whiten teeth. Different methods are suitable for different situations. Only by fully understanding the principles and applicable occasions of various methods can we truly "prescribe the right medicine for the right disease".

Teeth whitening, in a broad sense, is any method that can make teeth look whiter. It can be generally divided into two categories: invasive whitening and non-invasive whitening. The so-called invasive can be understood as causing significant damage to the teeth, such as grinding the teeth. Dental veneers or crown restorations are both invasive whitening methods; while bleaching, using whitening toothpaste, etc., are all non-invasive whitening methods.

Non-invasive whitening is a common whitening method, which can be divided into two categories: physical whitening and chemical whitening.

The so-called physical method is a method that does not change the nature of the substance, such as using toothpaste containing highly abrasive friction agents or light path modifiers; there are more types of chemical whitening, the most common of which is bleaching, or using toothpaste containing surfactants, bleaching agents or enzyme preparations.

How to choose a whitening method?

The general principle is that it varies from person to person. Specifically, it depends on the location and severity of the tooth discoloration. Normal teeth definitely do not need whitening, otherwise even if they are whitened, they will not look beautiful at all. Because normal teeth are not pure white, but white with a hint of yellow. Too white teeth can only show a sick appearance.

Enamel (white) and dentin (yellow) (Image source: Understanding Characteristics of Teeth | Treasure Dental Lab)

The discoloration of teeth can be either on the surface of the teeth (staining comes from the outside of the teeth, such as tea stains, cigarette stains) or on the body of the teeth (staining comes from the inside of the teeth, such as tetracycline teeth). It goes without saying that the latter is more serious.

Therefore, the choice of teeth whitening methods should follow the following principles: for discoloration of the tooth surface, physical methods among non-invasive whitening methods are mainly used; for discoloration of the tooth body, chemical methods among non-invasive whitening methods are mainly used, and even invasive whitening methods may be used.

The "effectiveness" of teeth whitening methods is often proportional to their damage to teeth. The more immediate the whitening effect, the greater the risk. The essence of invasive whitening is "making the fake look real" - using fake teeth to partially replace and cover real teeth, so a certain amount of tooth tissue needs to be removed, which is the most harmful to teeth; the bleaching effect is also relatively obvious, but it will also have certain adverse effects on teeth and surrounding tissues; using whitening toothpaste is often a painless whitening method, but it is also the safest.

What are the dangers of whitening?

Invasive whitening is very effective, but it is also really crude, so you must consider it carefully before making a decision. The crown restoration method, although originally a very normal tooth restoration technology, is more suitable for repairing incomplete and precarious teeth. If the teeth are just discolored and there is no serious loss of tooth tissue, then choosing a crown restoration is to sacrifice the health of the teeth (even if the teeth are not white enough and not good-looking enough) in exchange for white teeth. On the Internet, crowns used purely for beauty are called cosmetic crowns. But in fact, professional doctors never use crown restorations simply for beauty.

Crown restoration requires grinding of teeth (Image source: Dental Crowns – Needs and Material Used | Monash Dental Group)

Bleaching can also have certain adverse effects on teeth and the surrounding oral organs, including: ① Teeth become more fragile and sensitive, and more prone to tooth decay; ② The gums and mucous membranes will also be irritated. Therefore, the bleaching process requires strict bleaching agent concentration and bleaching time requirements, and attention must be paid to protecting the gums and mucous membranes during the operation.

Bleaching methods can be divided into two categories: office bleaching and home bleaching. In comparison, office bleaching uses a higher concentration of bleach (35 wt%) and has a more obvious bleaching effect, while home bleaching is just more convenient.

Although the higher the concentration of the bleaching agent and the longer the bleaching time, the more obvious the bleaching effect, the adverse reactions may also be more severe. Therefore, only office operations have the conditions to minimize adverse reactions and protect tissues and organs, making bleaching safer. Friends who plan to whiten their teeth with bleaching must go to a professional institution for standardized diagnosis and treatment. It is worth noting that if the tooth discoloration is not serious, bleaching should be chosen with caution; and if the tooth discoloration is more serious, the whitening effect of bleaching is also limited, and there is no need to place too high expectations. Be vigilant about exaggerated advertising. Even too severe tooth discoloration means that there are pathological changes in the tooth tissue, and bleaching is further damage to the teeth.

As for other whitening methods, such as toothpastes that use highly abrasive abrasives, light path modifiers, surfactants, bleaching agents or enzymes, their whitening effects are relatively limited and are only suitable for cases of surface discoloration of teeth.

Of course, beauty always comes at a price, but the key is whether it is worth it. Now you know what to do, right?