A beautiful smile, Hollywood star style, is simple: these are very white, well-aligned teeth. But in practice, with time and a few bad habits, they can take on an unsightly grey-yellow-brown tint. “There is the intrinsic coloring of the teeth, which makes them naturally more or less white. And the surface colorations, linked to our lifestyles. The consumption of coffee, tea, soda, tobacco, tannic wine, red fruits, spices or industrial foods rich in dyes will cause the teeth to lose their whiteness”, explains Dr Christophe Lequart, dental surgeon and spokesperson for the French union for oral health (UFSBD). A very common phenomenon that can complex to the point of not daring to smile.
Hence the growing success of dental whitening techniques, which are gaining more and more followers. As a kit purchased online, in smile bars or in dental offices, dental whitening is practiced at all prices, but not with the same degree of effectiveness or safety. 20 minutes reveals the secrets of an ultrabright smile without compromising dental health.
Teeth whitening for dummies
How can yellowed teeth regain their whiteness? “It’s simple, there is only one product capable of lightening teeth by oxidizing their colored pigments, it’s hydrogen peroxide, says Dr. Lequart. And European regulations are very clear: the maximum concentration of product that can be used in the office is 6% of hydrogen peroxide present or rejected. A derivative product, carbamide peroxide, is also frequently used. On the other hand, in smile bars as in over-the-counter whitening kits, the maximum authorized concentration is 0.1%. Inevitably, we cannot achieve the same results”.
In practice, “we most often use the ambulatory method: we make an impression of the patient’s mouth to make gutters, in which we apply the hydrogen peroxide gel, describes Dr. Lequart. They must be worn on average three hours a day for up to three weeks depending on the color of the teeth and the desired result. On the other hand, these products only work on natural teeth, not on composites, crowns and veneers”.
On the price side, “the prices are free, and can vary between 400 and 1,200 euros, indicates the dental surgeon. Variations that can be explained by the location of the practice or the notoriety of the practitioner”.
The precautions to take
“Before starting bleaching, you have to make sure that the mouth is in good health,” emphasizes Dr. Lequart. In case of caries, the protective barrier is broken, and even with a product concentrated at 0.1%, the hydrogen peroxide will penetrate very deeply inside the tooth, with a risk of mortification. Ditto in case of inflammation or gum disease, hydrogen peroxide would aggravate it. Hence the importance of dealing with this beforehand. Then we can do whitening, which is an act of cosmetic dentistry”.
What not to do
Don’t want to spend hundreds of euros at the dentist to find very white teeth? “Beware of grandmother’s remedies, such as using lemon juice alone, or even combined with baking soda, warns Dr. Lequart. Lemon juice, very acidic, can certainly give an immediate appearance of whiteness, but it will demineralize and weaken the enamel of the tooth, giving it a chalky appearance. And if in addition, we rub with baking soda, which has a relatively high grain size with an abrasive effect, we will eliminate part of the enamel layer, and it is irreversible: the lost enamel never push back. Whereas with a toothpaste that contains it, it will be micro-pulverized bicarbonate, much finer, which will have a polishing effect, without damaging the enamel”.
And beware of the temptation to buy a whitening kit online. “What is very problematic, when buying on the Internet, is that the products can come from the other side of the world and contain concentrations that do not comply with European regulations”, warns the dental surgeon.
you tested
Advice heard and applied by Lisa. “Having rather yellow teeth, I wanted to whiten them. But it was out of the question to buy cheap products on the Internet! So I went to my dentist to do it, to be confident,” says the young woman, who paid “400 euros. I had aligners to wear for two weeks every night. And some side effects: tooth sensitivity and redness in the gums. This dental sensitivity “is frequent, but it is not systematic, and varies from one person to another, but it is temporary, reassures Dr. Lequart. To avoid this, it is recommended during the treatment to use a toothpaste for sensitive teeth: after wearing the gutters with the peroxide gel, clean them and put this toothpaste in them, and keep the gutters on for five minutes, before rinse,” advises the practitioner.
A year after her whitening, Lisa is still as satisfied with it: “the result is impeccable and my teeth are still just as white”. And to keep your smile ultrabright, “after drinking your tea, coffee or other drink that yellows your teeth, you immediately drink a glass of water to rinse off the tannins, recommends Dr. Lequart. It’s like a mug: if you rinse it right away, there’s no trace of tea or coffee. But if you wait too long, you have to scrub it so that it is clean again”.