Flip open any magazine, turn on the television or head to the movies. You’ll see them everywhere:
Gleaming white teeth.
It could give a person a complex.
And some experts say that’s exactly what’s happening.
“Many people now have teeth that are whiter than the normal color scale we used to use many years ago,” said Dr. Kimberly Harms, a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. “We now have many people whose teeth are whiter than the (official) tooth color scale.”
Calling it “bleachorexia,” dentists say more and more people are coming in with unrealistic expectations for their teeth, wanting pearly whites that are several shades lighter than what’s natural.
“To a degree, what is happening is that whiter teeth are the standard,” said Dr. Kevin Frawley, a dentist at Beverly Hills Dentistry.
“People think there is no such thing as too white,” he added. “But if someone smiles at you and it looks like their teeth are going to jump out at you in the dark, that’s probably too white.”
In general, teeth bleaching is considered a safe procedure, but problems can arise when people stop following the prescribed directions and start thinking more is better.
“Too much of a good thing is not always good,” said Harms. “Whether you’re using an over-the-counter product or a dentist-dispensed product, you need to follow the directions.”
According to the American Dental Association, overbleaching can cause tooth sensitivity and gum inflammation. It also can cause teeth to look translucent at the edges – a potentially permanent change.
“After a certain point, the color starts to become an unnatural translucent, chalky white color,” said Frawley, who teaches at a UCLA dental clinic. “And they start to really have a strange look to them, almost like a bluish white.”
Over-whitening also makes it hard for dentists to match shades when doing fillings or crowns.
Some whitening toothpastes can wear down the tooth’s enamel – Frawley said to be careful with toothpastes that are “gritty” – and can cause more serious problems, though dentist-administered products don’t generally have that effect.
“I don’t know that (over-whitening) is a problem from a health point of view; it’s a problem from an aesthetic point of view,” Frawley said. “It doesn’t look natural, especially on older people. It looks out of place – like jet-black hair on an 80-year-old man.”
Not surprisingly, celebrities lead the pack in blinding smiles. Simon Cowell, Regis Philbin, Michael Douglas and Chuck Norris are just a few of the celebs who have been accused of over-whitening.
Fashion magazines aren’t helping things either. With a little Photoshopping, otherwise normal-looking teeth can become super-white with a click of the mouse.
“I think the media really brings out unnatural results,” said Dr. Bonita Hornstein of Best Natural Smile, a dental office in Santa Monica. “You see an ad and they might have airbrushed the teeth. It may not actually be real.”
Hornstein said big cities are more susceptible to the over-whitening trend, probably due to a celebrity-driven culture.
“In New York and California, you’ll see a huge difference in the way people perceive their oral aesthetics,” she said. “People are way more health-conscious and way more aware (of the way their teeth look) compared to other parts of the country.”
According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, teeth whitening is the most-requested cosmetic dental service today. In 2006, the dental industry reported
$138.8 million in revenues from teeth-whitening procedures alone.
Professional treatments generally use a combination of peroxide gel and laser or light therapy and usually are followed by at-home touch-ups using fitted trays. Whiter teeth also can be achieved with veneers, molded porcelain shells that are fitted onto the outside of the teeth. These two treatments can lighten most people’s teeth by several shades.
But they’re not cheap. Laser and professionally fitted whitening trays cost several hundred dollars; porcelain veneers can run more than $5,000.
Consequently, over-the-counter products – less expensive but also less effective – are soaring in popularity.
In the fiscal year ending June 15, Americans spent more than $200 million on whitening strips, brightening toothpastes and bleaching gels, according to Chicago-based Information Resources, which tracks sales at chain supermarkets, mass-market retailers and drug stores except for Wal-Mart, club stores, gas stations and dental offices.
Most of these products use low doses of peroxide to remove stains from the teeth.
“Bleaching can really make somebody feel so much better about themselves,” Hornstein said. “It really is a wonderful adjunct to the dental armamentarium, but it should be done under supervision.”
Of course, dentists warn that people should undergo a comprehensive dental exam before using any sort of teeth-bleaching product.
Melissa Heckscher (310) 540-5511, Ext. 329 firstname.lastname@example.org