Teeth Whiteners May Weaken Teeth
Home-use whitening products may deplete teeth’s protective enamel.
Researchers tested five different tooth whitening products for either 10 or 21 days. They then measured any changes to hardness or elasticity and compared these findings with tests of five tooth samples that had not been exposed to whitening products.
Some of the tooth whiteners were over-the-counter products and others were prescription products. All are intended to be used at home.
Teeth treated with whitening products had lost between 1.2 and 2 nanometers of thickness and between 6 and 18.8 percent elasticity. Elasticity is a measure of the enamel’s ability to recover from an applied force.
Untreated teeth lost only 0.4 nanometers of thickness, and had less of a decrease in elasticity.
Because enamel is translucent, it reflects the yellow color of the dentin underneath. Teeth whitening products use either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to bleach the organic pigment of the enamel.
Some side effects of tooth bleaching include gum irritation and tooth sensitivity.
