Teeth whitening kits which are sold in the UK for home use are not
effective.
This is the opinion of Karen Coates, dental adviser to the British Dental
Health Foundation, who believes tooth whitening is a procedure which is best
left to cosmetic dentistry professionals.
She explained that whitening products only contain less than 0.1 per cent
hydrogen peroxide – the chemical used to bleach the teeth – and that is not a
high enough concentration to be effective.
Ms Coates also advised people that eating brightly coloured foods like
curries or drinking tea, coffee and red wine can stain teeth.
Her comments came after a report from the American Dental Hygienists
Association and Wake Forest Baptist Health found that cosmetic bleaching was an
effective way of whitening teeth.
The report warned that people who try to do the
procedure at home could experience over-sensitivity and suffer permanent damage
such as enamel erosion.
© Adfero Ltd
Private dentistry news: 24 November 2011
