Teeth Whitening Products - Does New Technology Always Produce Better Results?

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 25 Nov 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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According to Vitint® company, their new patented technology developed by Dutch dentist, called Ardox-X technology with hydrocarbon-oxobarate complex, consists of safe active oxygen elements which have teeth bleaching effect. It has proven to be safe on tooth enamel and gums.

??Dr David Bartlett of Kings College London Dental Institute comments: "Sodium perborate, one of the listed ingredients, breaks down to form hydrogen peroxide, so the claim this product does not contain any peroxides is not really accurate. It is unlikely to have a significant effect on the putting over-the-counter teeth whitening treatments to the test colour of your teeth. I've never heard of Ardox-X technology."

??Why Vitint® is using active oxygen instead of traditional components?

??"Many whitening products currently on the market contain peroxides. In Europe, a concentration of 0.1% is permitted for consumer applications. However, 0.1% is not sufficient to whiten teeth", the company states.

??Is using more than 10% of peroxides really that risky?

??"All dentist-delivered bleaching products contain hydrogen peroxide, which has had extensive research and is considered reasonably safe. In tests done on mice, if they were fed enough of it, it was potentially carcinogenic - if you were to swallow pints day in, day out. But in the amounts used for these purposes (10-30%) the risks are very low. It can cause increased sensitivity, due to the hydrogen peroxide irritating nerve endings, but it won't damage the enamel", says Dr Bartlett.

??One of the whitening toothpastes for sensitive teeth is Oral-B Rembrandt toothpaste. The company claims: "Active peroxide formula helps to whiten teeth. Breakthrough low-abrasion Citroxain formula whitens teeth beyond surface stains without scratching enamel or eroding the gumline." Dr Bartlett follows up: "I've no idea what Citroxain is. Calcium peroxide could form hydrogen peroxide in a weak solution so this product may have a mild bleaching action."

??Another dental care company is producing Pearl Drops Hollywood Smile Toothpaste claiming: "With advanced micro-polishing system and peroxi-white active oxygen. Two shades whiter in three weeks or your money back!"

??Dr Bartlett says: "Pearl Drops contain an abrasive paste, which can wear down enamel, so I wouldn't recommend it. The Hollywood Smile version contains limonene, an acid which will probably clean effectively - though it could also gradually erode the teeth enamel."

??Summarizing, Dr David Bartlett saying that "basically there are two methods - take-home dental whitening kits, where a mould is taken of your teeth and developed into plastic trays which you fill with peroxide gel and wear for a number of hours a day; or lasers, where the gel is activated by light, allowing oxygen to pass through the enamel to the dentine, bleaching it while leaving the structure of the tooth unchanged. Both methods work but for the time-poor among us, however, the laser tooth whitening is more convenient - you can go as much as nine shades lighter in your lunch hour".

http://e-teethwhitening.com

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