Question:
I have been using the Perfecta teeth whitening system for several
weeks now and have noticed a huge improvement in my yellowed teeth. I
used an 11 percent carbamide solution the first week, 13 percent the
second, and 16 percent the third and fourth.
However, my teeth still have a yellowish tinge and I noticed that
Perfecta has a 21 percent solution so I asked my dentist about using
this. He said the 21 percent is "too strong'' and that I shouldn't use
it.
Does anyone know anything about the 21 percent solution? Does it fry
your gums or something? My gums and teeth have held up pretty well
with the 11-13-16 treatment as far as sensitivity and irritation, so I
feel like I could endure the 21 percent -- especially if it will put
the finishing touches on whiter teeth.
Answer:
Sorry to burst your bubble but the 21% will not brighten your teeth any whiter
than even the 10%, only faster. If you have been using the bleaching agents
regularly for several weeks, in all likelyhood you are as light as you are
going to get. Extended long term bleaching (3-9 months) conducted at the
University of North Carolina showed only minimal gains after this point on
other than tetracycline stained teeth. However long term affects to the teeth
have not been fully accessed at this time with prolonged bleaching.