White-teeth seekers find reality can bite

Beautiful woman watches handsome, well-built guy walk towards her. He's within touching distance when their eyes meet. He smiles, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. She loses interest. It's a premise as old as advertising itself, and silly enough to be laughable if it weren't so effective.

Such ad campaigns have helped fuel a steady surge in demand for products claiming to turn teeth a desirable Chiclet white. A summer 2005 poll by Toronto-based Environics Communications, commissioned by Listerine, found that three quarters of Canadians 18 and older are concerned about having a whiter smile. More than a third have gone to the trouble of whitening their teeth. But only one in five is actually satisfied with the outcome. Sixty-one percent of those who had whitened their teeth said the effects lasted only three months.

But then, the poll also shows that despite a growing interest in whiter teeth, most people remain in the dark about how to get the best results and maintain them (something Listerine hopes consumers will remedy by purchasing their new mouthwash).

Although teeth-whitening ads would have us believe that achieving a 1,000-watt smile is hardly more difficult than flicking a switch, it's much more complicated than people think, says Kevin Gee, a Vancouver dentist with a significant cosmetic practice. That's one reason he recommends professional teeth whitening over store-bought products that aim to do the same.

Gee told the Straight during a phone interview that discoloured teeth can signal much more than a cosmetic problem. The teeth themselves may be dead or decaying, as a result of cavities or periodontal disease. Worse, some oral cancers can cause teeth to darken.

Then there's the fact that not all teeth in the same mouth whiten equally. Those stained by certain medications, such as the antibiotic tetracycline, will be even more pronounced next to their bleached neighbours. So will teeth with enamel defects such as fluorosis, characterized by a patchy, brown appearance. Dental work-crowns, for example-won't whiten at all.

A dentist can check for such things before whitening, Gee said. Moreover, although professional teeth-whitening is expensive-upwards of $350-it's more effective. "In my experience," he said, "the results usually last about two years."

Gee cautions people who use over-the-counter whiteners, which average about $50, to check in with a dentist first to make sure discoloration is a result of age and staining, not ill health or gum disease. What's more, their teeth should be tartar free before whitening; otherwise, it's the tartar that's whitened, not the enamel. And when the tartar is removed, the yellow will show through again-that is, if the store-bought whitener works in the first place.

Forty-seven-year-old Janine Timmons tried Crest Whitestrips, a seven-day supply of bleaching strips that adhere to the teeth. She gave up after only a couple of days. "They made my mouth water so much I had to stand over the sink to apply them," Timmons said from her home in North Vancouver. Her friend Laurie McLean was no more successful. "They were a disaster," she said. "I salivated my brains out and they slid all over the place. That stuff about doing it anytime, anyplace is hogwash. I ended up giving them away."

Both women have since paid about $380 each for a take-home bleaching kit from their dentist, which involved a 15-minute stint in the dentist's chair to have a mould taken of their teeth. Before wearing the mould every night for 14 nights, the two patients put a drop of bleach solution from pre-filled syringes into each tooth impression.

Timmons said the process seemed unwieldy at first, but once she got used to it, it felt like part of her nighttime routine. And the results? Well worth the bother, they say. "People at work noticed," Timmons said. "In fact, at first I felt like I was blinding people, my teeth were so white; but they've toned down since and look more natural." Her dentist told her that the whitening should last about 18 months. She can reuse the mould and leftover bleaching solution for touchups, but eventually she'll have to buy more solution.

But even professionally whitened teeth need maintaining, and misconceptions about proper maintenance abound, according to Gee. "Many people," he pointed out, "think that cigarettes and coffee are the biggest offenders when it comes to staining. But the real culprit is tartar, which is a virtual stain magnet."

Tartar starts as plaque, which calcifies over time to become rock-hard, the stuff the dental hygienist chips away at during cleanings. Because plaque forms every day, steps to prevent it must be taken daily. Gee suggests people brush their teeth in the morning and night for at least two minutes each session, and floss a minimum of once every day. He also recommends using a mouthwash by Listerine called Advanced. The January 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association reported that people who used Advanced had 20 percent less plaque and tartar than nonusers. The study was sponsored by Listerine, but Gee doesn't think that should put off potential consumers. "At least they've bothered to do a study to show that it works. The active ingredient is Whitenol [made with zinc chloride], and currently Listerine is the only product using it."

Gee said some people go further, choosing white wine over red, or limiting coffee and avoiding dark berries, such as blueberries and cherries. In fact, he's watched some of these keeners sip their coffee through a straw to protect their pearly whites. "But the bottom line," he quipped, "is that if you prevent the plaque in the first place, you don't have to worry about the wine, the berries, or the coffee."

So go ahead-eat that wedge of three-berry pie. Chances are with that celebrity smile, the looker across the café won't even notice the blueberry stuck between your white teeth.

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