The Origins of Teeth Whitening (Sometimes the Original Methods are Truly the Best)
The desire to have whiter teeth has existed for centuries! But in some surprising ways, the methods for getting that dazzling Hollywood smile have shown little change. This is truly an area where the original methods, with small modifications, are truly the best.
Consider the advent of hydrogen and carbamide peroxide bleaching for teeth. Evidence shows that hydrogen peroxide was used as early as 1884 as a method for whitening teeth. Think about it: Even in the days of powdered wigs and wooden dentures, our colonial ancestors were committed to whitening their smiles.
Even our ancestors understood that while the external tooth enamel is white, but it’s also translucent, which means the color of the structures beneath it will tend to show through. The material under the enamel is dentin. The normal color of dentin is yellow. However, materials from the internal nerve can cause even the yellow color of the dentin to darken to a brownish yellow as we age. The dingy look of natural teeth as the age is a result of the combination of enamel stains, which become permanent if they go untreated, and the underlying dentin that darkens over the years as it becomes more affected by the color of the internal nerve.
(A note- this is one of the primary reasons whitening toothpastes will never be fully effective: Even if you brush all day, the whitening agents in the toothpaste are only briefly in contact with the tooth – and even if you manage to abrade away and lighten the stains on the outside of the teeth, they’ll still be affected by the color of the dentin that lies underneath. This is one of the strongest reasons to consider teeth whitening bleach.)
Have you ever seen the natural color of a tooth with a root canal? The tooth will be dark because the internal material that has died has permeated the surrounding dentin. Here’s where our ancestors discovered a brilliant idea: by soaking a cotton pellet with bleach and sealing it up inside the access hole in a tooth with a root canal for several days, they could significantly lighten the tooth. After several days, they’d simply remove the pellet and seal the hole with a filling. Voila!
An Easier Way
While the bleaching materials are similar, the methods of use have become much more sophisticated since the days of our ancestors in 1884. While hydrogen peroxide is still an option, the more stable and lasting carbamide peroxide has become the gold standard, in concentrations ranging from 10 to approximately 30 percent (the professional strength gel you purchase from a dentist will typically range from 15-22 percent strength; while over-the-counter whitening strips and products may offer as little as 2-4 percent strength!)
The secret is in the application – about 20 years ago, cosmetic dentists discovered that a solution of 10-20 percent carbamide peroxide could safely be applied to the teeth without the fear of burning the gums and soft tissues or poisoning the patient as long as the gel was used in conjunction with custom fit trays to keep the bleaching material in direct contact with the surface of the tooth for as long as possible, without touching the gums. The longer the contact, the whiter the tooth (up to a certain point – whitening potential is individual, and at a certain point, there’s no further whitening effect to be gained.)
While there’s no medical benefit to whitening teeth (and gradually darkening teeth are, in fact, perfectly natural), most every dentist today realizes that a whiter smile contributes to a sense of well being, which can certainly contribute to an optimistic attitude and good mental health. So while we no longer have to resort to bleaching our teeth with cotton pellets, the fact that we have easy means of gaining whiter teeth is enough to make anyone smile!
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Related posts:
- Methods of Teeth Whitening – Here’s a quick list of the Pros andCons
- Interesting Teeth Whitening Facts
- Is professional teeth whitening for everyone?
- STRAWBERRIES for Whitening Your Teeth?
- Teeth Whitening Kits
I really like when people are expressing their opinion and thought. So I like the way you are writing
Thanks, corrupt!
We definitely have some opinions, heheh, and we’re not shy to share. Hopefully teeth whitening is a part of your business. It’s definitely in high demand. We’re having a lot of fun with the new services.
-Cheryl
Teeth whitening is said to be not too dangerous but I think little by little, it is bad for our teeth. Best to used it in moderation!
I am not going to be original this time, so all I am going to say that your blog rocks, sad that I don’t have suck a writing skills