Do whitening agents weaken the enamel on your teeth?

Welcome to our "Frequently Asked Questions" series.

If you have a dental related question, please post a comment or send an email through our Contact Us form. Once again our question comes from one of our Facebook Fans

Teeth whitening...

If you want to keep your mandible magical, there are plenty of options to keep those pearlies white.

• If your teeth are slightly discolored, you might be a good candidate for over the counter whitening products like strips or paint on materials.
• Bleaching trays, which you can get from your dentist, are an option to remove those deeper stains for whiter results. The tray holds the bleaching gel against the tooth and... It oxidizes much faster and you get a better result. Also, with some of the materials, you can see a difference in three or four days.
• There is also power or light-accelerated bleaching, sometimes referred to as laser bleaching. This is done by using light energy to accelerate the process of bleaching. This procedure is a bit more complicated and must be done in a dental office.
• And those toothpastes that claim to whiten, brighten and perk up your pucker? Beware, some of those products are not bleaching agents, they're abrasives, so they work by polishing off surface stains.

However... in answer to our question...the American Dental Association says there are no studies that have shown adverse effects from tooth whitening when properly administered, but warn that over use or abuse of any product can be harmful. The most common side effects for patients are sensitive gums.

For more information on teeth whitening from the American Dental Association click here or you can see what the ADA has to say about over the counter whitening products here.