Boise Dentist Blog
The professional blog of Doctors Dan Bruce, Steve Bruce, Rosa Pothier and Rob Ririe
Does whitening damage the enamel of my teeth?
I recently was at a birthday party and one of the out of town guests asked me if whitening damages enamel on teeth. I have been asked this question a couple of times, so here is the answer-I can only speak for the whitening systems we use, but the Opalescence PF whitening gel actually increases enamel microhardness. The whitening agent, carbamide peroxide, does not harm the enamel. The gel does contain two other ingredients--"P" for potassium nitrate and "F" for fluoride. The potassium nitrate actually has a calming effect on the nerve of the tooth, thus decreasing sensitivity. The fluoride both decreases sensitivity, but also hardens the tooth. Add in the effect of carbamide peroxide being an anti-cavity agent, and whitening can be an all-around good thing for the teeth.
We have different levels of bleaching agents for each patient. Different patients have different levels of sensitivity. Talk to your dentist about what bleaching level is best for you.