These treatments increase for the summer season and lack any medical control

The College of Dentists of Córdoba issued a public warning of the dangers of using dental whitening products, the use of which increase significantly during the summer months, “often without following a check by a dentist,” they warn.

The collegial institution points out that the higher concentrations (0.1% hydrogen peroxide or greater than 0.3% carbamide peroxide) “should be used under the direct supervision and prescription of a dentist ” to prevent the problems that can occur from the high concentration of this component.

The College also insists that concentrations lower than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide found in some dental products (gels, pastes and mouthwashes) sold directly have a “practically nil” result.

Harmful effects

The president of the collegial institution, Dr.Rafael Roldan, advices that “before starting a teeth whitening treatment, it is always necessary that a dentist perform an assessment of the overall oral health of the patient, not only to decide the most appropriate treatment in each case, but to rule out other oral health problems and to avoid possible complications. ” Bleaching is not recommended in patients with gingivitis and other periodontal diseases, either before or immediately after completing a treatment of dental restoration.

In addition, the professional, says Roldan, should also take into account other external conditions such as snuff or alcohol consumption, because ” they may potentiate the possible toxic effect of hydrogen peroxide”  – says the president of the collegial institution.

This treatment, he adds, ” does not get teeth with crowns or porcelain veneers whiten, so if you have this idea in mind, beware the end result could be teeth of different colours.”

It doesn’t bleach the white fillings either, so the result in this case would be a whiten tooth but no whiten filling, resulting in two colours again.

The General Dental Council has recently denounced the illegal selling of “White Light Smile”, a dental bleaching kit through the Internet also requesting that appropriate precautionary measures be taken to suspend their advertising and sale, and that withdrawal from the market be imposed.