Do Whitening Strips Damage Enamel? Yes, whitening strips do damage enamel. Your teeth have three layers — enamel, dentin and connective tissue.
Potential Damage and Tooth Sensitivity
To be on the safer side, use whitening strips in moderation, as overuse will not only cause tooth sensitivity over time, but it will also permanently damage your tooth's enamel and the surface below.
The PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) and carbomer used in Crest Whitestrips (for sticking to the teeth) are generally fairly safe and non-toxic. However, overuse of these products can irritate the gums and damage enamel.
Baking Soda: As long as you are careful to brush gently, baking soda can eliminate stains from the surface of your teeth without damaging them. Whitening Strips: Whitening strips mold to the shape of your teeth to whiten them. Whitening strips are both safe and effective.
Are they safe? Dr. Stoess-Allen confirmed that "None of the listed ingredients in Crest Whitestrips have [been] shown to be unhealthy or dangerous to the enamel of teeth" — they even recommends the products to her own patients.
Depending on the specific Crest 3D White Whitestrips product chosen, strips should be applied daily for anywhere from 10 to 20 consecutive days. The packaging instructions for the particular version of the product being used should be followed. Some improvement may be seen after only 3 days.
The whitening solution used by dental professionals has a higher concentration of bleaching ingredients. So, while white strips will help remove surface stains and make your teeth somewhat whiter, they're just not as effective as having your teeth professionally whitened at your dentist's office.
While the enamel can't grow back, it can be remineralized with special tooth repair kits. Certain toothpastes and dental products push calcium and phosphates back into the teeth and harden the enamel. Fluoride plays a powerful role by capturing the calcium and phosphates that acids draw out of the teeth.
Teeth that have yellowed with age
As we age, the enamel becomes thinner due to wear and tear, revealing the underlying layer of tooth structure called dentin. Dentin is naturally yellowish and cannot be lightened with teeth whitening products.
Even though you can't reverse enamel erosion and shouldn't whiten at home to reduce yellowing, you can still change the look of your smile. The dentist can bond a tooth-colored material to the damaged area to create a smooth, pearly white finish.
Enamel doesn't have any living cells and is unable to repair itself if it undergoes damage. In other words, unlike the rest of the human body that can repair itself, once the enamel is gone, it's gone forever.
The majority of whitening strips are safe to use; however, if you use whitening strips that contain chlorine dioxide, you could destroy the enamel on your teeth. Chlorine dioxide is the same acid used to disinfect swimming pools. It whitens teeth by eating away the surface of the enamel.
Since tooth enamel can't regrow spontaneously, the underlying dentin can be exposed, with results ranging from hypersensitivity to cavities or even gum disease. The lozenge, on the other hand, strengthens, rebuilds, and protects teeth. While fluoride can also fortify tooth enamel, it does not actively rebuild it.
As the enamel continues to erode, your teeth might turn a gray or yellowish color. If your teeth change shape, it's a good indicator that you have enamel damage. Your teeth may begin to appear rounded, develop ridges, and often the gaps between teeth will become more substantial.
Using teeth whitening strips too often or for too long can make the teeth porous and cause the surface enamel to break down. The bleaching agent in whitening strips can cause stress of the tooth surface and surrounding gum tissue.
Teeth whitening strips use peroxide to remove stains. So what happens is that the peroxide temporarily increases your enamel's porosity. This allows the peroxide to reach the discolored molecules in your teeth. However, it can be a disadvantage for some people since it creates an avenue for your teeth to be stained.
Never use teeth whitening strips before brushing your teeth, but do not use toothpaste at this time. Before you apply white strips, it is critical that you brush your teeth with a wet toothbrush (without fluoridated toothpaste, or without toothpaste at all).
Research shows that hydrogen peroxide products might damage proteins in your teeth's dentin layer. Dentin is the hard tissue that lies beneath your teeth's surface enamel. Another study shows that whitening products might also roughen or soften your teeth's surface.
If your teeth and gums aren't in the best shape or if you've had a lot of previous dental work, both issues can affect your results with traditional teeth whitening treatments. You won't be able to whiten either porcelain crowns or most commonly used dental bonding materials.
Sometimes the bacteria in plaque changes food starches into acids. When this happens, the acids in plaque start to eat away at the healthy minerals in the tooth enamel. This causes the enamel to wear down and become pitted. Over time, the pits in the enamel increase and grow in size.
Sensodyne Pronamel works by repairing tooth enamel and remineralizing each tooth deep within its surface, to protect from further damage and acid erosion.
Use fluoride treatment
Fluoride is tooth enamel's best friend, helping to strengthen and restore it after normal wear and tear. The best way to implement fluoride treatment while working to restore tooth enamel is to use a fluoride-based toothpaste and mouthwash.
For the safest and most effective at-home teeth whitening method, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) recommends you use custom-fitted trays supplied by your dentist. Ill-fitting teeth whitening trays can cause the gel to ooze out and irritate your gums.
Rinse: Rinse your mouth as soon as possible to minimize the risk of stains if you drink coffee, tea, red wine, or cola, or eat foods that are likely to stain your white teeth.