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Luster Premium At Home Whitening

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I received an advertisement for an over the counter whitening called Luster Premium. It seems to have some good reviews but I don’t know how to check if it is safe or not. I worry about things not done by medical or dental professionals, but am also looking to whiten my teeth, so if I can save some money doing it safely, I’m all for that.

Heather J.

Dear Heather,

Image of teeth bleaching trays

This product appears to be safe, however, I would not recommend that you use it. While there are over-the-counter whitening products that do work, which I’ll talk about in a moment, this one is phoney. The light is not strong enough to make a difference. However, the real kicker is their so-called whitening ingredient. This is not a bleaching agent such as you would get from a legitimate whitening kit. Instead it is just a pigment that is in the Super Whitener — zinc oxide.

Zinc oxide sticks to your teeth and can make your teeth look whiter, but it is only temporary. The pigment will fade away. In order to keep your teeth white, you will have to continue to place to pigment on your teeth. I think this initial whitening is why it has some positive reviews. You can use it and it won’t really hurt you, but I think it is a waste of your money.

Crest Whitestrips is an over-the-counter whitening kit that does have a legitimate whitening ingredient. It will whiten your teeth but will take quite some time. First, by law, it has to be weaker in order to be safe enough to sell to patients who are not under a dentist’s care and can keep an eye on things. Second, it only covers your front six teeth. Most patients have a smile that is eight to ten teeth wide. That means that you will have to wear multiple strips each time to get them all whitened.

I don’t fault you at all for wanting to save some money. That is wise. However, by the time you double your strips and get enough boxes to whiten your teeth effectively, then you’ll probably end up spending as much money as you would have if you’d done professional teeth whitening through a dentist. Your time is worth something too.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.
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Tanda Pearl Ionic Teeth Whitening

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I have been using some teeth whitening that I bought over the counter. It has this tray that I use but I’m supposed to keep it in for two hours. This has been aggravating my TMJ. I recently read about a different system, the Tanda Pearl Ionic Teeth Whitening System. Is that safe. Will it work? It says that I would only have to wear their trays for 5 minutes a day. I feel like that would be easier on my jaws.

Ursula

Dear Ursula,

Image of teeth bleaching trays

So I looked into this. While it does have a legitimate teeth whitening ingredient, I don’t think it is going to be helpful for you. This kit has only one tray. In order to keep it in your mouth, you will have to bite down on it. Even for just five minutes you are going to find that will cause even more jaw pain than what you are currently experiencing.

A second issue with the trays is that they do not keep the whitening gel secure. This causes two problems. First, the gel can get out of the trays, which both weakens its effectiveness and puts your soft tissue, like your gums, at risk. Second, it allows your whitening gel to get out of the tray. This further weakens the gel’s effectiveness.

My recommendation is that instead of trying these over-the-counter kits, you go to your dentist and get professional teeth whitening done. A dentist can make you custom fitted teeth whitening trays that will fit your teeth perfectly. Not only will that keep you from having your jaw ache, but it can also make your whitening more effective.

By the way, there is nothing magical about the two hours which the first kit told you to use. If your jaw hurts with two hours, do it for one. It just means that it will take a little longer to get the whitening level that you want.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.
Click here to learn about porcelain veneers.

Dentist Can’t Match My Crown to My Teeth Because I Whiten

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My dentist is trying to get a crown on the tooth next to my front tooth. He can’t get a crown white enough because I whiten my teeth regularly. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to stop whitening my teeth but I need that tooth fixed. Do you have a recommendation for me?

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

old shade guide

I think I know exactly what is going on here. My guess is that if you get your teeth whitening done by your dentist it is the only cosmetic dental work that he does. He likely is still using the old shade guide. I have an example of one pictured above. Notice that your teeth will be whiter than even the whitest shade on there.

This was the type of guides that all dentists used previous to the exponential growth in popularity and accessibility of teeth whitening. However, once whitening became the norm for most people, that shade guide did not work anymore because now teeth were whiter than the whitest shade. Then, add in the existence of porcelain veneers and you can see where there was a need for an update on these shade guides.

Updated shade guide

As a result, the shade guide companies went to work and put an addition on the end for the whiter shades. Above you’ll see an example of one of those updated guides. All dentists who do a lot of cosmetic work will have an updated shade guide. The fact that yours does not tells me that he doesn’t do cosmetic work.

My big concern with this is that he is very likely just to pick a shade from the shade guide, even the updated one, and think that is enough. Teeth at the front of your mouth will have more exposure to light. If your dentist just grabs a shade from the guide the tooth won’t look as natural. He’ll need to add a color map for the ceramist to show him or her how to stain the crown properly in a way to make it look naturally and blend in properly with the other teeth.

I recommend you get a refund and then find an expert cosmetic dentist do your porcelain crown.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.

What Do You Know About Premium Home Whitening?

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Can you tell me anything about the Premium Home Whitening Kit? It’s cheaper than what my dentist offers, but I want to make sure it is legitimate first.

Kate

Dear Kate,

Image of teeth bleaching trays

I looked this over. It does have a valid whitening ingredient, so that part is good. I don’t know what your dentist charges, but I’m pretty sure you’ll end up paying more in the long run. This is because of the whitening tray that you get with any over-the-counter kit.

When your dentist whitens your teeth with take home trays, they are custom fitted to your bite. This means that the gel stays in the trays and on your teeth and saliva stays out of the trays. Why is this important?

First, if the gel leaks out, which it will with the type of trays you can get over the counter, then you are losing whitening for your teeth. You’re also letting the gel get on your gums. This can lead to irritation of the gums. I read a blog post about a woman who ended up needing a root canal treatment from an over the counter treatment.

Second, if the gel can get out, your saliva can get in. That is a second way that your tooth bleaching will get diluted. You will get much more effective (and safer) results with professional teeth whitening.

If cost is the only factor in why you are considering something other than professional work, then I would like to suggest you talk to your dentist. They may let you pay it out or lower the price a little. I can’t guarantee that. But, if you don’t ask you’ll never know.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.
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Pain from Teeth Bleaching

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I have been whitening my teeth at home. It was going okay until about a week ago. That’s when I felt a zing of pain. The pain happened right where I had some dental bonding done to repair a chip. Is it possible that the whitening is damaging the bonding? Will it fall off? Is there a way for me to whiten my teeth with bonding?

Loretta

Dear Loretta,

Image of teeth bleaching trays

There is no evidence that teeth whitening can damage the bonding on your teeth. If the bonding weakened, the repair would just fall off. My guess is that your chip repair has a small part that is exposed. This is likely what is causing the zing that you are feeling. It is possible you had a small piece of your repair that was damaged at some point and now the area is a bit sensitive.

My recommendation is that you temporarily stop your teeth whitening procedure until you can have your dentist look at this. I’m going under the assumption you are having your bleaching done under the care of a dentist. Even if you are not, this will need to be looked at.

The damaged portion to your dental bonding needs to be repaired. That will protect is from other problems as well. Then, once the sensitive portion is appropriately covered, you can resume your bleaching again. Your dentist won’t necessarily need to redo the repair. He or she may just need to coat it with something that will protect it from sensitivity.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.