Are You A Bleach-A-Holic? Dentists Trying To Urge Healthy -- Not Hollywood -- Standards POSTED: 8:36 pm CDT July 11, 2007 CHICAGO -- Are you a "bleach-a-holic?" If so, you are in good company: dentists say the number of Americans over-using teeth-whitening products is on the upswing. They want white, but some are getting something quite different. "I had one patient say, 'You can never be too thin, too rich or have too white teeth.' I don't know about that," said dentist Alice Boghhosian. Dentists are concerned about unrealistic expectations. "It's patients who just constantly want a white smile (and think) everyone wants to feel like a movie star," said Dr. Alyson Koslow of the UIC College Of Dentistry. Dentists said they are spending more and more time counseling and showing their patients what a natural shade of white looks like. Aside from the unrealistic images, there's also the expanding array of over-the-counter teeth-whitening products to consider. There are rinses, pastes, strips, and gum all pandering to our uniquely American obsession with white teeth. But many patients overuse the products, which often leads to very sensitive teeth. "They glow in the dark," said Boghhosian. "I don't think teeth look very good when they're that white." Of 350 dentists polled by the Chicago Dental Society, 40 percent recently said they were concerned about patients' "too white" smiles. Dentists said signs you've over whitened your teeth is when they match the white color of the toilet bowl or translucent blue-gray tint in skim milk. "Generally speaking, these toilet bowl teeth (and) the skim milk smile -- that's more overuse from a professional product than an over-the-counter product," said Boghhosian. Other top signs include temporary sensitivity, gum inflammation, rough enamel and splotchy teeth. Consumers are on their own when it comes to any governmental regulation, as the Food and Drug Administration categorizes over-the-counter whiteners as cosmetic. That's why you won't find any percentages of whitening agents listed on the labels. Professional dental products are the strongest, but dentists say the ingredient to look for if you want long-lasting results from an over-the counter product is hydrogen peroxide, which penetrates the enamel. Other products just lift stain, which helps -- until you drink that next cup of coffee.

PREVIOUS

NEWS-LINKS MAIN PAGE

WEBSITE HOME

NEXT