Do Teeth Whitening Strips Really Work For Teeth Whitening?

When used correctly, teeth whitening strips can not only ensure the safety of teeth and gums, but also achieve a whitening effect, which has been confirmed by numerous experiments.

In some developed countries such as the United States and Japan, there is a saying that after a child is born, two sums of money are saved, one is for marriage, and the other is for dental health care. This shows how important it is to have healthy and white teeth.  With age and living habits, teeth become yellow, and the reasons can be roughly divided into two types: endogenous and exogenous. Exogenous is mainly caused by tea stains, tobacco stains, red wine and minerals in drinking water. Endogenous coloration is formed during the development of teeth, such as tetracycline teeth, fluorosis teeth, etc. Therefore, many people will choose whitening strips to whiten their teeth. So, do teeth whitening strips work?

What is the principle of whitening teeth whitening?

In order to find out whether the whitening strips actually work, let's take a look at its whitening principle.

The main ingredient in whitening strips is hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide can decompose in the presence of metals, light, and heat to produce OH or HOO, which are free radicals. They cut off the unsaturated divalent bonds (coloring molecular locks) in the organic components of the colored teeth and combine with them. After oxidative decomposition, they form low-molecular colorless substances, which can be further reacted to form carbon dioxide and water.

At present, the bleaching agent used in clinics are mostly high-concentration hydrogen peroxide, while the bleaching agents for home use on the market are mostly about 10% carbamide peroxide.

Therefore, generating free radicals through oxidation, thereby decomposing colored substances, is the main principle of whitening strips.

Are Teeth Whitening Strips Safe?

The active ingredient of regular brand whitening strips is low-concentration peroxide, generally below 10%. When used correctly, it can not only ensure the safety of teeth and gums, but also achieve the effect of whitening. This is already countless. Experiments confirmed it. However, the wearing cycle should be calculated in weeks, and it will take at least two weeks to have a more obvious effect.

In addition, during whitening, due to the effect of peroxides on the surface of the teeth, the teeth are more susceptible to contamination by pigments in food and beverages. So try to eat and drink white or colorless, such as water, milk, chicken and fish, etc. At least avoid tea, red wine, soy sauce, certain brightly colored fruits.

As for some whitening products of unknown origin, some have increased the concentration of peroxides in order to one-sidedly pursue the effect, which may damage the teeth. Selection is not recommended.

People with dental problems should not use whitening strips

However, whitening strips are not suitable for everyone, especially those with dental problems. "Enamel plays a role in protecting the internal dentin, but some people's tooth enamel is naturally underdeveloped, and they don't realize it. Once whitening strips are used, the acidic components in the tooth stick may damage the enamel and cause damage to the tooth surface. Injury. If it is used by people with healthy teeth, it will have self-recovery function for a period of time. People with symptoms such as periodontal atrophy will irritate the gums and cause pain in the tooth nerves, especially for people with hypersensitivity teeth. It is difficult to recover from pulpitis. Dental experts reminded that it is best not to use whitening toothpastes, especially for children and young people. These people’s pulp angle is relatively high and not fully developed. Whitening strip is opposite to the tooth. The nerve stimulation is greater, the enamel of the teeth is relatively thin, and the sensitivity to heat and cold is greater, and the use of dental sticks will damage the teeth.