The Real Scoop on Teeth Whitening Scam

What Major Retailers Don’t Want You To Know

From Dr. D. Scott Trettenero, DDS

I’ve been whitening my patient’s teeth for over 20 years and I love the results.  So do my patients and who wouldn’t?  It seems that white teeth are now a cultural phenomenon.  Almost everyone wants their teeth whiter.  But not everyone wants to go to a dentist and not everyone can afford what most dentists charge.

So a few years ago, over-the-counter whiteners began flooding the market, each with its own gimmick, or gadget, or promise of sparkling white teeth in just minutes.  Anything and everything has been marketed to the public because of the tremendous demand and the profits to be made.  As PT Barnum once said, “There’s a sucker born every minute” and thus an uninformed public is susceptible to deceit and trickery.

In 2004 over-the-counter teeth whitening product sales passed a billion dollars a year!  It seems as if America’s obsession with white teeth had big business foaming at the mouth. The big names in oral health care products all wanted their piece of this very lucrative pie.

It amazes me now when I see television commercial claims such as.  “Teeth whiter in just three days!”  “Whiter teeth in just five minutes a day”.  “Brush on and see results overnight”.  “Exactly the same as the dentist does”.  It makes me sick because so many people fall for these claims and pay good money for products that either don’t work or work just a little bit at best.

Let me start with the products that don’t work at all. I have to cringe every time I see an ad for teeth whitening gum, whitening tooth paste, or whitening mouth rinse.  What a huge scam!  Yet people continue to buy these products and use them over and over.  Savvy, but deceitful,  marketers  have  learned that consumers will buy one product over another if it has “Whitening” on its label and the competitor’s brand doesn’t.  So everything for your teeth and mouth now also has to be a teeth whitener in order to sell.

But the real truth of the matter is that they don’t whiten teeth!  Where are the consumer advocates who are supposed to be out there protecting the public from false advertising?  I just don’t get it.  So use your common sense when you are spending your hard earned money to buy something to whiten your teeth.  If you don't believe me, do you believe editors of the highly   respected magazine CONSUMER REPORTS?  That's what they say!

Here is the real scoop on teeth whitening.  Teeth have been shown to whiten when exposed to a peroxide like solution.  How much the teeth whiten depends on three things.  The first two are the concentration of the peroxide solution and the time it stays on the teeth are two variables that can be controlled.  The third thing over which we have no  control is the inherent color of the teeth before the whitening is started.  I will talk about that in a minute. 

Concentration vs. Time.  That’s all teeth whitening is about.  The concentration of the whitening gel is very important and varies with the technique used.  You should know that the meager concentration of peroxide in toothpaste, gum, or a mouth rinse is minimal.  It isn’t strong enough to have any effect on the whitening of your teeth. 

Other methods like paint-ons just don’t stay on your teeth long enough to do the job.  Some teeth whitening kits claim that your teeth will be whiter in just minutes a day.  Won’t happen!

How about that kit that comes with a special tray that has a light that is supposed to whiten super fast?  Bogus!  The light is a simple LED light with no capabilities of whitening whatsoever. So the teeth are exposed to some whitening gel for just a few minutes with a light for hype.  Anyone who uses this kit would feel like a fool if they knew the truth.  I am ashamed of these types of companies.

The biggest winner in over-the-counter whitening products are the whitening strips.  They are little strips of “cling wrap” with whitening gel laid on the inside surface.  Yes, they do produce what Consumer Reports calls moderate results if you go through two boxes of the strips.  My honest experience with them is that they do whiten some people’s upper front six teeth fairly well.  But that’s all they will do.  No one I know ever says they could wear the   lowers with any results.  They just won’t stay on because the tongue keeps dislodging it.  So here is one over the counter that does do something.  At least it has some effect.

The way dentists whiten teeth is the best way...because it works.  Custom-fitted trays are specially made to hold the whitening gel evenly against the teeth.  Remember that the time the gel is exposed to the teeth is one of the variables.  A custom fit tray is best because it is also comfortable and can be worn for extended periods of time.  Over-the-counter trays which are called “boil and bites” are bulky and cumbersome. Few people could wear these things long enough to get good results.

Another way a dentist will whiten teeth is called One Hour Whitening.  You have to sit in the chair for about an hour while a very high strength peroxide gel is applied to the teeth.  Once again, remember that teeth will whiten dependant upon the concentration of the whitening gel and the time it is in contact with the teeth.

If you would happen to overhear dentists talk about one hour teeth whitening, you would learn a few things that might concern you.  Number one is that one hour generally isn’t enough to get the results that make people happy.  They look white for a few days but then darken up a bit gradually.  Sometimes the will go back to their original shade fairly soon.

The next thing to consider is the sensitivity. I’ve had to write pain prescriptions after one of these sessions.  Some dentists give pain meds before they whiten as a general rule because they know its going to hurt. The last fact concerns the light that is used to “activate” the whitening gel.  Laser whitening is really a myth and is used only as a marketing tool.  The light might increase the whitening capability a few percentage points but it really isn’t even enough to notice.  

The safest and best way to whiten teeth. I believe it is slowly over a  10-14 day period.  That is achieved with a custom tray containing a high quality gel at a concentration that is comfortable for the patient and is worn an hour or so a day.  The fee is reasonable compared to one hour whitening and having the trays offers so many benefits to the patient.  I always give my patients a desensitizer that can be placed in the tray and worn to make the teeth more comfortable after a whitening session.  The trays can be kept and used for touch ups when needed for a whitening boost down the road.

I am so sure that the custom tray is so necessary that I even developed a way for people to make their own trays in the comfort of their own homes.  The product is called AllureSmile and I received a patent for this technique.  Look for it soon on TV.  Actually, it’s available now at my  office or on the internet by going to my website AllSmilesNow.com.

Lastly, you should know that not all teeth will whiten at the same rate as others.  Teeth that whiten faster and better are those that are just a bit yellow.  Yellow shades are the easiest to remove.  Brown colors in teeth are harder to remove and require much more whitening time.  Gray stains are the hardest to remove and may require more time than most people are willing to use the whitening trays and gels.  Even here though, studies and experience has shown that even these teeth will whiten if you are persistent enough.

I hope this has been beneficial to you in cutting through all the hype and misinformation and that is out there concerning teeth whitening. Without the facts, you are easy prey for those who would mislead you for a profit.

Dr. D. Scott Trettenero, DDS

Fort Myers Dentist – Call (239) 344-7210
Schedule a free consultation today.