Teeth Whitening
The Danger Of “Affordable” Teeth Whitening Solutions
There is a positively wide range of teeth whitening products available on the market today, so many in fact that it seems that anyone can afford to sport the gleaming white teeth that was previously seen only in movie stars. Affordable teeth whitening products have trickled down into the masses, and this democratization of movie star smiles is surely something that we can all be happy about.
However, just as anything that comes at a lower price, you do have to be careful that you are actually getting what is advertised, and that the results that you get are what the manufacturers of the products claim. More importantly, you will also have to make sure that you do not cause any further damage to your teeth by using these lower cost teeth whitening products. With products that use abrasive ingredients, there is a particular danger of wearing away the protective enamel of the teeth, which will open up a whole new world of pain for you, to put it bluntly.
To help clue you in to some of the dangers that you can potentially face from the cheaper teeth whitening products, we present you the following tips on the most commonly used products and treatment methods available and the possible risks that they pose to your teeth.
The baking soda/lemon juice/vinegar method
This is actually a time proven method that has worked surprisingly well for a number of years. The only difference is with the actual substance used, with the baking soda working on the abrasive principle of using tiny grains to scrape away any existing stains on the surface of the tooth, and the lemon juice and vinegar relying on its acidic properties to brighten the teeth. The danger with these substances is fairly obvious; the abrasive action of the particles in the baking soda and the acidity of the lemon juice and vinegar can damage the surface enamel of the teeth, leaving the underlying layers prone to damage. It is important to use these substances sparingly therefore, in order to avoid considerably more serious issues with your teeth.
The teeth whitening strips/pastes/tray option
The use of teeth whitening products has enjoyed a growing popularity over the past several years, and for a number of good reasons. They are actually quite effective, they are easy to obtain, and they are relatively inexpensive. They are not without their own drawbacks however, and among the complaints most often received about them is that some do not whiten the teeth evenly, resulting in dark spots interspersed with the lighter areas. And of course the risk of enamel damage that they can cause is also a possibility.