Dental care and oral health information you need
from the Academy of General Dentistry


Friday, March 29, 2024
Know Your Teeth Academy of General Dentistry Know Your Teeth

InfoBites

Quick Reference

Learn what those dental words mean.

Check out how your teeth and mouth change in every stage of life.

RSS

Feeds

Get dental news feeds delivered directly to your desktop! more...

Whitening Options Produce Similar Results

 
Chapter: Study of Whitening Strips

In his report, Dr. Donly studied and compared two groups of teenagers who used whitening strips. One group used a 10 percent hydrogen peroxide whitening strip and the other group used a 6.5 percent hydrogen peroxide strip that had a thicker gel layer. The patients used the strips for 44 consecutive days, for 22 days on the upper teeth followed by 22 days on the lower teeth.

Participants in the study used the strips for 30 minutes twice daily. Use of the strips resulted in significant color improvement for yellowness and lightness/brightness. With the whitening strip systems, the most common complaints were tooth sensitivity and oral irritation, both of which subsided at the end of treatment.

"To prepare their mouths for whitening, patients should maintain good oral health," adds Dr. Donly. "Brushing right before is not recommended, as it might cause abrasion and sensitivity."
 
Reviewed: January 2012