Imagine this: you’re half asleep as you stumble out of bed and into the bathroom to do your morning routine. As you get ready to brush your teeth, you do a double take in the mirror. Suddenly, you aren’t so groggy anymore. Shuffling up to the mirror, you bare your teeth, only to find that your pearly white teeth are not looking so pearly anymore! 

Yellowing teeth can happen for many reasons, such as a high sugar diet, age, and genetics; even your brushing technique can affect the color of your chompers. Over the years, many remedies to solve the problem of yellow teeth surfaced through the woodworks. These ranged from DIY-at-home teeth-whitening strips to professional, clinical bleaching. However, there are also certain remedies that act like wolves in sheep’s clothing, appearing to help our teeth regain its white color while actually damaging the integrity of the tooth. These methods of teeth whitening are either easily misused or deceptively packaged, and need to be discussed in order to promote healthier oral hygiene. 

Harper’s Bazaar Staff, “Is Charcoal Toothpaste Safe to Use?https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/health/advice/a3764/charcoal-toothpaste-pros-cons/, accessed May 2021.

Black charcoal toothpaste has been a part of a recent popular fad within the oral hygiene world, boasting a cleaner brush and a whiter smile. The popularity of black charcoal toothpaste skyrocketed after its unique black color took social media by storm in 2019. Its key ingredient is activated charcoal, a form of charcoal that becomes more porous after being processed at high temperatures. The results: a high degree of abrasiveness in the toothpaste itself. 

The abrasiveness of toothpaste, in addition to the bristles of the toothbrush, help clean plaque and food residue off the surface of the tooth. Think of a loofah scrubbing the body clean of dead skin cells and dirt. Inherently, there is nothing wrong with abrasiveness in toothpaste. However, just as a harsh loofa can harm the epidermis of the skin, too much abrasiveness can damage the enamel of the tooth. 

Instead of just scrubbing away plaque, a study done by the British Dental Journal found that black charcoal toothpaste’s degree of abrasiveness easily scrubs away at enamel, causing tooth decay and further yellowing of the tooth. Of course, there are other toothpastes that contain unsafe amounts of abrasiveness. But this, coupled with the endorsement from social media influencers, makes black charcoal toothpaste one of the more dangerous methods of teeth whitening out there.

Mary Ryu, “Do LED teeth whitening kits work? I tried teeth whitening at home.” https://www.today.com/style/do-led-teeth-whitening-kits-work-i-tried-teeth-whitening-t138437, accessed May 2021.

Another seemingly unharmful form of teeth whitening are at-home light whitening kits. At-home light whitening kits have more recently burst into the scene of social media as the newest form of teeth whitening. These kits contain a whitening gel and a handheld LED light device. The process works like this: the gel is applied to the teeth, which then reacts to the stains on the enamel. This reaction cleans and whitens the teeth on its own, but when exposed to light through the LED light device, the process is expedited. Over the course of a couple treatments, a whiter smile is achieved.

There are many problems with these whitening kits. The first is in its potential for user and system error. Each kit differs in the intensity of light and composition of gel, so the possibility for burning and damaging the enamel is a significant one. The safety mechanisms of each kit are also dubious.

The second is in the deceptive marketing behind these products. Hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide-based gels are clinically proven to be the most effective in whitening teeth. Most of these kits utilize some other composition of chemicals in their whitening gel that doesn’t contain these compounds, marketed as “safer” or “more effective” with almost no research backing its claims.

This leads to the third problem, which is that there is relatively no research behind each of these different at-home teeth whitening kits. As stated before, each kit is different and the industry is very, very new. The possible long-term detriments of these products have not been fully researched yet.

There are a couple methods of teeth whitening that have been proven to be safe, the first being going to the dentist to get your teeth bleached. Your dentist would clean your teeth and protect your gums before coating your teeth with a hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide solution. They would then expose your teeth to a light (UV or LED depending on the dentistry) or a laser to activate the whitening process. This process is probably the safest way to whiten teeth, but is also expensive.

The second safe method would be using teeth whitening strips. Studies have shown that a strip-based bleaching system has both a greater degree of efficacy, safety, and ease compared to gel-based products. You would apply these strips directly onto the teeth for a duration of time as instructed. The amount of applications should also be given by the instructions. This method is relatively easier and cheaper, but has more room for user error.

As with anything, even if it is the most safe method, things can quickly become unsafe if the proper precautions are not taken. Obviously, if you used an at-home light whitening kit sparingly and cautiously, you might achieve the results you want without damaging your enamel. By the same logic, if you ignored the instructions on your Crest white strips and applied them 24/7, you could really damage your teeth. 

The trick to a healthy smile is to patiently observe and research the best method for yourself. There is a lot of deception on social media and in advertising. Always take things with a grain of salt, and keep your smile safe!

Robert Tsai

B.S. Cognitive Science – Class of 2024