You’ve just come home from the dentist’s office after having your teeth whitened—you smile into the bathroom mirror and can’t look away! Your teeth are dazzling, with no signs of coffee staining anywhere; but how did your dentist perform this magic transformation in such a short period of time? In-office teeth whitening hasn’t always been such a quick and straightforward process—there is no magic wand involved, but rather, an interesting history riddled with trial-and-error that has gradually transformed teeth whitening into what it is today.
How It All Started
Like many great discoveries in this world, teeth whitening was discovered by pure chance, rather than a focused scientific effort. Dentists in the 1960’s and 70’s were experimenting with different methods to treat swollen gingival tissues in teenagers who had been wearing orthodontic appliances (i.e., braces). One of these methods involved filling mouth trays with Gly-Oxide, a simple over-the-counter product used to treat mouth sores; not only was the Gly-Oxide helping with inflammation, but it also, coincidentally, whitened teeth. Once word spread, the commercial production of similar formulas began, leading to teeth whitening becoming an increasingly accessible solution.
Trial and Error: Results May Vary
Coincidence became a common theme throughout the development of in-office teeth whitening process; while the strengths of different peroxide-based formulas seemed to vary, heating lamps were also added into the mix. These lamps produced radiant heat that was sometimes so intense it could cause damage to dental pulps, but eventually, the swap to photon energy techniques produced more desirable results with less risk. However, these results were still inconsistent and unpredictable, usually with a quick relapse—this led to dentists, exhausted from complaints, to send patients home with whitening trays and whitening gels after an in-office whitening. With so many potential methods, but few with much science to back them up, results could certainly vary when it came to having your teeth whitened.
How It’s Going Now
The tumultuous but educated series of trials and errors, while sometimes based more on coincidence than on scientific evidence, still eventually yielded some of the methods and results that are widely utilized in in-office teeth whitening today. Most popular teeth-whitening solutions now involve some sort of whitening solution, usually a peroxide-based cleaning agent, which is applied to the teeth. It is a quick and painless process that many people invest in, as the results are noticeably impressive. Gone are the days of weird heating lamps and dentists experimenting with Gly-Oxide.
There was a lot of effort that went into manifesting that dazzling smile in your bathroom mirror. It is interesting to look at the history and take note of all the trial and error it took to simply whiten teeth. In-office teeth whitening has evolved much since its early roots, gradually becoming perfected and streamlined into the process it is today.
About the Author
Dr. Spiro Saati has been serving patients in the Peabody community for his entire career. He obtained his Doctor of Dental Medicine at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and the Massachusetts Dental Society, among others. If you have any questions about the article or about teeth whitening, you can reach Dr. Saati at his website or (978)-531-2185.