Peroxide vs. Non-Peroxide and In-Office Bleaching

In the quest for whiter teeth I have covered the most "typical" ways to bleach your teeth to a whiter shade mostly using carbamide peroxide as the most ubiquitous product to attain results. I have spoken about Bleaching pens, crest strips, trays which can be custom fitted to your teeth or generic ones that you heat and bend to your teeth.  Most all of these products contain the diluted form of peroxide.

I would like to point out that in my last blog I made a statement about how teeth get whitened in most strips and gels with a mild acid to help open the pores of the enamel.  Since then I have spoken to another dentist who has written a number of articles on whitening and bleaching. He has corrected this with newer evidence that there is "no acid necessary" needed for peroxide gel to penetrate the enamel pores and now most bleaching agents do not have this ingredient any longer.  It only takes 5-15 mins of peroxide to begin to penetrate enamel with out the acid.  I just wanted to rectify this last statement in my last article. 

If you do not wish to use peroxide there are some different options from which to choose from.

Zero peroxide found on zeroperoxide.com 

Ingredients and its claims:

• 35% sodium bicarbonate (to help remove surface staining)
• aloe vera (heals wounds and protects from bacteria)
• sodium fluoride  (to control tooth sensitivity)  
• pomegranate (reduces plaque controls reformation of plaque) 
• chamomile (reduces mouth ulcers)  

This Product also makes available a mini led light (light energy) to accelerate the process. I have not personally tried this product or studied its efficacy.  I just wanted to give some options. 

Natural products:

Strawberries have malic acid in them.  If you cut a strawberry in half and dip it into 2 parts baking soda to one part peroxide and rub it onto your teeth you may see a difference in tooth color after several days due to stain removal, but it will not bleach the tooth, only whiten to original color.   I must caution you as to acid erosion.  In natural treatments, unlike professional or over-the counter treatments your teeth could be exposed to too much acid erosion from the malic acid and baking soda.  Be cautioned when using this method and do not continue for long periods of time. It is acceptable for very short term usage.

Let's talk about: In Office bleaching treatments and led light assistance.

Most studies have shown that using an led light or halogen light really did not increase the whiteness of the teeth being treated any more than using just the chemical process without the light. In fact, the teeth being light treated appeared to be lighter for a week or two following led assisted treatment, but after 2 weeks results were the same for both subject groups with light treatment and without.  This is due to the teeth becoming dehydrated during the isolation of the tooth during the bleaching duration. If you would like to read the full article It is "In Office bleaching: lights, applications and outcomes" by Dr. Van Haywood.  Even the show "Extreme Makeover" using zoom, suggests one in office bleaching treatment to start with take home custom fitted trays.

In knowing the results of light assisted bleaching and no discernable difference without light assistance, I can only suggest to the patient that the light helps for the first week or two, but must be followed up with subsequent treatments or trays to be sent home with the patient. The other suggestion would be more in office treatments. 

It has been found through studies that teeth do not bleach at the same rate or to the same extent as other teeth.  All teeth have a finite limit on how fast they change their color and how white they will become and this is specific for each individual patient. Studies have shown that in order to obtain at least a 6 shade color change you will need:

At minimum 7 days of 10% carbamide peroxide in a custom fitted tray which is equivalent to at least 3 in office treatments or approximately 16 days of OTC crest strips.  The days of treatment may be varied depending on the rate of tooth color change, but it's approximate.

I will suggest once again visiting with your dental professional to get an opinion on what method is best for you.

I hope this has helped anyone who wishes to get a whiter, brighter smile!