The Superfoods Guide

ADA requests FDA consulting over chemicals found in tooth whitening treatments.

Celebrities and their pearly whites have sparked a popularity increase for teeth whitening procedures. We all want to copy our favourite stars and we think that tooth whitening is a sign of beauty and youth. Indeed, a straight set of nashers that are pearly white definitely can make you look younger if you have had brown and corked teeth for years. And whilst dentists can perform tooth whitening, it is important that you only use professional treatments in a dental surgery, and do not let any unlicensed people work on your teeth otherwise you could be in for some pain.

There are booths and stands set up around the country in shopping centres and the like where unprofessional, unqualified and unlicensed individuals claim to give you whiter teeth, but the ADA is concerned about their safety and has petitioned the FDA to intervene with regulations over the chemicals used in tooth whitening treatments.

This is because there are hundreds of products available over the internet which claim to get results that you would see if you had professional treatment at a dentist, however you would only have to pay a fraction of the price. but unfortunately these too good to be true offers are bed, charging customers hundreds of pounds in hidden charges, cancellation fees and international shipping costs. When you think you are trying a free trial of ‘brilliant’ teeth whitening gel and then you end up paying $300 in renewed fees, you really are losing out.

However you might receive more than just damage to your finances when you take up these offers. Gum infections and erosion can occur if the chemicals are applied too liberally or in the wrong way. Having green, rotten gums is not what you want when expecting to get brilliantly white teeth.

Now, the ADA hopes that the FDA will bring in classifications for the different chemicals used in products marketed as tooth whiteners. This is hoped to increase customer awareness of the risks you subject yourself to when trying over-the-counter gels and pastes in the hope of getting whiter teeth.

If the FDA decides to implement classifications, then tooth whitening treatment manufacturers will require FDA consulting on the chemicals and ingredients that it deems as safe and those it does not.

Tags: dentist, FDA compliance, fda consulting, teeth whitening, tooth whitening