Background & Objectives
- Tooth whitening is popular and trending
- There are many different products / methods available
- Tooth whitening is controversial
- There are many internet product scams
- Lack of customer education regarding whitening
- Outline the various tooth whitening options of professional based products compared to over the counter/ social media advertised products
- Serve as a reference for dental professionals in advising patients of the potential adverse effects of products and methods that lack credibility
Research
- Lots of information available with variability in credible evidence
- Numerous studies are funded through the companies of whitening products, thus displaying some degree of bias
- Poor methods and ways of testing whitening efficacy were found among the research
- Social media advertised product websites only show positive costumer reviews compared to other forums revealing extensive negative reviews
Results / Conclusions
- • Professional tooth whitening is not harmful to the teeth when directions are followed correctly
• Enamel structure is not compromised unless whitening is done excessively
• Hydrogen / carbamide peroxide is the only agent shown to intrinsically bleach (whiten) the teeth
• In office lights / lasers have not been shown to enhance whitening efficacy in comparison to a highly concentrated bleach alone
• LED lights that come with at-home kits produce no effect
• In-office and at home whitening treatments can produce comparable results
• Most social media advertised products do not disclose their ingredients and may not even contain peroxide
• Most social media advertised products have been shown to not produce reliable results
• Almost all reviews/promotions of social media advertised products are funded/formulated by the company
American Dental Association (2010). Tooth whitening/bleaching: Treatment considerations for dentists and their patients. Retrieved from: https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/AbouttheADA/Files/ada_house_of_delegates_whitening_report.ashx Baroudi, K., & Hassan, N. A. (2014). The effect of light-activation sources on tooth bleaching. Nigerian medical journal : Journal of the Nigeria Medical Association, 55(5), 363–368. doi:10.4103/0300-1652.140316 BrightWhite Smile. (n.d.). Premium Teeth Whitening Kits. Retrieved from https://brightwhitesmilepro.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhNLtiLWB5gIVTR-tBh2BnQuTEAAYASAAEgKDZPD_BwE Carey, C. M. (2014). Clinical Focus: Tooth Whitening: What We Now Know. The Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice,
