Teeth Whitening...

[haulingthescoreup]

Yikes!

Women used to use arsenic and white lead to get that interesting pale expression. It worked once they were in the coffin, I suppose.

Anyway, teeth whitening doesn't seem as drastic, but I'd still rather hang onto the enamel.

[MattH]

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@haulingthescoreup wrote:
I like the enamel on my teeth. It might not be as white as the driven snow, but it's intact.

I would definitely worry about whitening processes weakening the enamel.

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My dentist does not recommend whitening, but he says if somebody insists on whitening then get it done by a dentist, he really does not recommend the do-it-yourself kits.  He says although the bleach may weaken the enamel, the biggest risk is if any of the bleach gets on the gums it can really cause problems and it's trickier than most people realize to prevent some of the bleach leaking onto the gums.  Personally I care more about what my teeth will look like when I'm old than what they look like right now.  My grandparents all had dentures for many years before they died, but my parents still have their teeth at 79 and 83, their teeth are yellow but they have them.  My dentist also says if a person ends up with dentures, the later the better because dentures are quite hard on the gums.  So he says his number one goal for all his patients is if possible prevent ever needing gums, but his number two goal is for those who do end up with dentures to delay getting dentures for as long as possible.

[Junejer]

C'mon man. I'm drinking a glass of green tea right now.

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Uborrow-Upay wrote:

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@haulingthescoreup wrote:
I like the enamel on my teeth. It might not be as white as the driven snow, but it's intact.

I would definitely worry about whitening processes weakening the enamel.

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Good point!

I hesitate to bring this up, but members of royalty in the olden days had very white teeth as a hallmark of their status.  They achieved their pearly whites by using their own urine as mouthwash.  The ammonia content whitened their teeth alright, and also destroyed the hard enamel, turning the royal teeth into mush...

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[Anonymous]

my grandmothers sisters all used to use ashes to clean their teeth for them to be white.  My grandmother didn't and she's the only one with teeth left. 

[keith021]

I use Crest Classic and Advance white strips. I used the new grip ones, but I won't be purchasing them on a regular because they are rather expensive. I'm obsessed with my teeth and was told by my dentist if I did do professional whitening, I could only go one shade whiter.

When I first started using the strips, my gums did become a little irritated and itch a little. I no longer experience that.