TAKEAWAYS
- Professional Consultation: Before using high-concentration gels (typically 22%–44% CP), undergo a dental check-up to ensure you have no untreated cavities or gum disease, which can lead to severe pain or internal tooth damage.
- Custom Tray Fitting: For concentrations above 10%, use custom-fitted dental trays rather than “one-size-fits-all” options to ensure the gel remains in contact with the enamel and does not leak onto the soft gum tissue.
- “Teardrop” Application: Apply a small, “teardrop” sized amount of gel to the inner front wall of the tray for each tooth. Overfilling leads to excess gel being pushed into the throat or onto the gums, causing irritation or chemical burns.
- Strict Time Management: Adhere strictly to the manufacturer’s recommended wear time (often as little as 15–30 minutes for high-strength HP gels). Exceeding these limits does not increase whitening but does increase the risk of acute sensitivity.
- Gum Protection: Use a gingival barrier or a small amount of petroleum jelly on the gum line before insertion to provide a protective layer against the bleaching agents.
- Post-Treatment Care: Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water to remove all residue and avoid “staining” foods (coffee, red wine, berries) for at least 48 hours while the tooth pores remain open.
With the continuous improvement of people’s living standards, having white and neat teeth not only reflects a person’s health status, but also reflects a person’s good appearance and mental state.
Because of this, in recent years, the teeth whitening market in my country has been growing rapidly following the pace of the European and American markets. In particular, the young consumer groups born in the 80s and 90s, especially female consumer groups, are very fond of such products and beauty services.
High Concentration Gel May Do Harm to Teeth
At present, cold light tooth whitening products generally use hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as the main component of the whitening gel. As a strong oxidant, hydrogen peroxide has a good whitening effect. Its application principle is to oxidize and decompose the large pigment molecules attached to the tooth surface into small molecules, and free these small molecules to restore the colored teeth to the previous whiteness (note: teeth whitening is not bleaching teeth).
Although hydrogen peroxide whitening gel is very convenient to use, if it is used improperly, it will have certain side effects. This point needs to arouse the attention of consumers.
Some dental hospitals or beauty salons often use high-concentration (≥30%) hydrogen peroxide whitening gel in order to pursue rapid whitening effects. Although doctors generally apply gum protectants during teeth whitening for consumers, if they are used for a long time or frequently, they will inevitably bring the following hazards.
1. Causes the enamel surface to fall off: A study by the University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil shows that under a high-power electron microscope, using a high-concentration whitening gel will cause the enamel surface to fall off by 1.5 microns on the right. Although this thickness can’t be seen by the naked eye at all, if it is used for a long time, it will erode the dentin, causing the teeth to become sore and painful.
2. Causes gum atrophy: Although the doctor will apply a layer of gum protectant in advance when using high concentration (≥30%) hydrogen peroxide, if it is used for a long time or frequently, the gums will shrink. Everyone understands that gum atrophy is an irreversible process. If the atrophy is severe, the teeth will become loose or even fall out. This phenomenon is undesirable.
3. Cause transient gum allergy or gingivitis: Studies have shown that when using high-concentration hydrogen peroxide tooth whitening gel, some users will have transient gum allergy or gingivitis, which is mainly manifested as red, swollen, painful gums. Chewing sore and weak, which affects normal daily life.
Choose Safe Concentration of Ask for Manufacturer for Advice
Although everyone expects a fast whitening effect, it saves time and effort. However, we suggest that consumers should try to minimize the use of high-concentration tooth whitening gels, and should use low-concentration products. US FDA official documents clearly define that hydrogen peroxide concentration ≤ 12% is a low-concentration product and is a non-medical product. A large number of studies and experiments have shown that the use of low-concentration tooth beauty products will not harm the teeth or gums.
