Bleaching: When the quest for sparkling teeth turns ugly

Dec 06, 2012

Tracy Kintu, a front desk employee at a reputable firm in Kampala, is bothered by her stained teeth. Given the nature of her job, Kintu’s desire is to have sparkling white teeth, as she is required to smile all day long. She is considering bleaching her teeth, but is not sure whether it is safe.

By Agnes Kyotalengerire

Tracy Kintu, a front desk employee at a reputable firm in Kampala, is bothered by her stained teeth. Given the nature of her job, Kintu’s desire is to have sparkling white teeth, as she is required to smile all day long. She is considering bleaching her teeth, but is not sure whether it is safe.

Dr. Charles Rwenyonyi, a dental surgeon, says bleaching of teeth is becoming a popular trend. “In a week, I attend to two to three people and majority are women,” Rwenyonyi says.

Dr. Muhammad Mbabali, a dental surgeon at Today’s Dental in Wandegeya, says the colour of teeth varies from off-white to light brown. “Many times people feel uncomfortable about their teeth colour and want them sparkling white, so they bleach them.”

Teeth bleaching or whitening is a cosmetic treatment of using bleach to make the teeth look brighter. “The process requires using chemicals to remove stains, including those that are inside the teeth,” explains Mbabali.

Cause of discolouring

Joseph Mutyaba, a dentist at Smile Dental in Bugolobi, says teeth stains are caused by a number of factors such as consumption of coffee and cigarettes. These contain substances that permanently discolour the teeth.

In addition, Mutyaba says, some medications such as antibiotics like tetracycline, may discolour the teeth. Ageing also causes teeth to lose their natural colour, he adds.

Danger of teeth bleaching

Although bleaching improves the teeth’s appearance, Rwenyonyi says it has its downside. He says the most common effect is teeth sensitivity, especially when taking very hot or cold foods.

Just like skin bleaching, Mbabali says, teeth whitening weakens the tooth structure over time and if not done properly, it can damage the tissue around the teeth.

Even after bleaching, Rwenyonyi says, the teeth can still get stained again. “Bleaching requires removal of a small layer on the enamel. In the process, this creates small pores and with time proteins in the food stick on the teeth, causing stains,” he explains.

However, Mbabali says the degree of damage varies. It may be minor or severe, depending on the concentration of chemicals used in the treatment and the strength of the teeth.

Staining of teeth requires the process to be repeated at least every two to three years. This is rather costly because on average, bleaching all the teeth costs between sh400,000 and sh700,000, Rwenyonyi warns.

However, Mbabali clarifies that bleaching does not change artificial components of teeth, for example crowns, white cement restorations and implants.

Alternatives to bleaching

Mbabali says before anyone bleaches the teeth, he should be sensitised on the possible side effects and encouraged to appreciate their teeth.

Mutyaba says sometimes there is no need to bleach, given the different whitening products on the market. He says minor stains can be removed using whitening tooth paste, gels mouth wash and masking (covering the stained tooth surface with artificial cement. He says jacket crowns can also be used to cover the teeth. A jacket crown is a porcelain ceramic covered crown that protects the entire surface of a tooth.

Some dentists suggest that rinsing your mouth with a solution of hydrogen peroxide helps not only to kill the germs, but also bleach the teeth.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});