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What is Sustainable Tooth Whitening?

Sadly it’s another week without video while I am getting a new cord for my video camera, but today we are introducing the topic of sustainable tooth whitening to all our viewers.

Some whitening choices out there simply aren’t that great for your enamel or the long-term health of your teeth. Sustainable tooth whitening is a new approach to tooth bleaching that seeks to preserve the health of your teeth and their protective mechanisms while achieving the longest lasting whitening. We’ll be going into more specifics in the coming weeks, but today I am putting forth the basic principles so that you all have a foundation for making informed choices about how to whiten your teeth in a sustainable and effective manner.

The 4 Principles of Sustainable Tooth Whitening

  1. Limit the frequency you whiten your teeth. Frequent whitening strips your enamel of the protective protein skin called the pellicle, which helps make your teeth more resistant to acids. Ironically, although this layer is protective this is the predominant area where stains like to embed. All bleaching procedures will affect the pellicle and you want to allow your teeth to recover between treatments instead of constantly eliminating your body’s natural protective mechanisms.
  2. Choose whitening treatments that provide the best Color Stability. This goes hand in hand with our first principle. The longer the whitening remains, the less often you need to whiten.
  3. Avoid at all costs whitening therapies that rely on acids or abrasives to brighten your teeth. Those random ads for teeth whitening using a strawberry (malic acid) and baking soda (abrasive) are all abrasives and acids; however, this category also includes whitening rinses and most whitening toothpaste. Any teeth whitening method reliant on acids and/or abrasives is not healthy for your teeth.
  4. Treat your teeth as being more vulnerable during active whitening periods. Bleaching therapies of all kinds lift the pellicle off your teeth, so your teeth will be more vulnerable to acids during this time. Making simple changes such as avoiding erosive and very sugary foods/drinks during active whitening periods are helpful in protecting the health of your teeth.

    Get a radiant smile today! Book your teeth whitening appointment at our clinic and achieve a dazzling, confident grin. Schedule now!


Scott Frey

Scott Frey is a renowned Orthodontist, professional speaker, and founder of the More than Smiles Movement.