Tooth Whitening and Tooth Enamel Damage

If you want teeth that are pearly white, then you may consider speaking with your cosmetic dentist about teeth whitening treatments. These treatments have been offered for decades, and many people invest in them for aesthetic reasons. If you want to go through the whitening process, you may wonder whether or not the treatment is truly safe. The treatment can soften the tooth enamel, so this is one thing to be concerned about. Keep reading to learn about this and how it can be avoided.

Tooth Enamel Loss

You may not know that dental enamel is the strongest substance in the body; it has a high mineral contact that is compacted to create the tough outer surface that covers your teeth. While the enamel is quite strong, there are a number of things that can lead to its erosion. These things include strong acidic substances, abrasive materials, and strong pressure. Also, treatments that include dental whitening can cause the release of some of these minerals.

The loss of mineral content is called demineralization, and the body can work to remineralize the teeth as long as too much damage has not been caused. 

When it comes to tooth whitening, treatments can cause the enamel to soften slightly. The softening can lead to enamel loss and demineralization if the teeth are scraped hard or subjected to a strong acidic fluid soon after the treatment.

In most cases, the softening is not extensive and is measured at less than about a 10 percent hardness reduction overall. However, with repeated whitening treatments, you can see how this can lead to some serious long-term damage.

How Can You Prevent Enamel Damage?

The good news is that dental whitening can be quite safe for your tooth enamel. Specifically, the vast majority of enamel damage is caused when the whitening treatment is a strong one. For example, if you invest in a quick treatment or one that offers substantial results after one visit, then these are more than likely strong whitening treatments that can cause damage. 

Also, if your teeth are extremely dark with both intrinsic and extrinsic stains, then your dentist may decide to strengthen the whitening solution to try to remove as much of the discoloration as possible. 

To avoid tooth damage, which is permanent by the way, you want to make sure that the whitening solution is relatively weak. You should be investing in numerous treatments over a six to eight week time period as well, and you should allow your teeth to rest in between by avoiding acids. 

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