New Whitener Bleaches Teeth with Less Sensitivity

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new type of tooth whitener contains extra ingredients that reduce the sensitivity that often follows bleaching, according to new study findings.

Dr. Frederick Eichmiller, based at the American Dental Association's Paffenbarger Research Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland, explained that people often complain of tooth sensitivity to cold and brushing over the few days following bleaching.

Sensitivity occurs because bleach cleans teeth extremely well, he said, and in the process, helps open pores found in the surface of teeth. This brings nerves in the teeth in closer contact with the environment, causing sensitivity, Eichmiller noted.

Over time, that sensitivity dwindles, he added. Saliva contains calcium and phosphate, the primary building blocks of tooth enamel, Eichmiller explained, and over days to weeks this fills in the open pores. "To speed that process up," Eichmiller and his colleagues have added calcium and phosphate to whiteners.

A recent study published last March in the Journal of the American Dental Association showed that, among 50 people who tried different types of whiteners, those given a whitener with calcium and phosphate were half as likely to report sensitivity after bleaching. The study was funded by a company that makes bleach that contains calcium and phosphate, Eichmiller noted.

"We've been able to greatly reduce the sensitivity" after whitening, Eichmiller told Reuters Health.

He added that the extra calcium and phosphorus does not appear to alter the effectiveness of the whitener, nor affect its taste.

Currently, over-the-counter whitening products do not contain extra calcium and phosphate, Eichmiller said, but people can request whitener with extra remineralization agents at the dentist's office. Dentists already have products that contain calcium and phosphate, which they use to desensitize teeth, he explained.

Eichmiller and his colleagues described the new whiteners last week during the American Dental Association's National Media Conference in New York City.