Paul E. Berg, DDS

You might assume that all tooth whiteners available have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") but this is not the case. The FDA does not categorize tooth whiteners as "drugs" and therefore it does not regulate them. There are many types of tooth bleaching products available to you as a consumer, both from your dentist and also over-the-counter (i.e. drug stores).

The American Dental Association (the "ADA") has established a set of guidelines for tooth whiteners. These guidelines set standards for both safety and effectiveness. A manufacture can, at their own effort and expense, present to the ADA the results of their product's research and clinical trials. If the ADA finds that the criteria of their guidelines have been met by this data they will issue to the manufacturer, for that specific product, the ADA's "Seal of Acceptance". Since earning the ADA's seal is expensive and time consuming for a manufacturer, and of course totally optional, it clearly demonstrates the company's commitment towards creating a quality product.

In the case of at home tooth whiteners, the ADA's seal indicates that, when used as directed, a tooth whitener is not harmful to either teeth or the soft tissues of the mouth, and also that it will effectively whiten teeth. Additionally, the manufacturers of products receiving the ADA's seal are not allowed to make claims about their product which are not supported by research or else they will loose the seal. Those manufacturers who have earned the ADA's seal typically display it prominently on their product's packaging.

Facts you should know about "at home" tooth bleaching products:

* The only at home tooth whiteners which have yet been able to earn the ADA's "Seal of Acceptance" are dentist dispensed products. No over-the-counter products (such as those sold in your local store) currently have earned the ADA's seal.

* The active ingredient contained in all of the at home tooth whiteners which have earned the ADA's seal, and the compound which has been evaluated in the vast majority of at home bleaching studies, is carbamide peroxide at a concentration of 10%. The active ingredient found in most over-the-counter at home bleaching products is not carbamide peroxide but instead hydrogen peroxide.

While Dr. Berg cannot know beforehand the precise level of whitening results you will achieve or how long it will take to realize them, they should be able to give you a general idea of what changes might be possible based on his experiences with other patients. Our take-home whiteners can be used during the day or night. Some are Hydrogen Peroxide at a 9.8% concentration while others are Carbamide Peroxide of 15-22%. We also provide the in-office Zoom™ whitening treatment.

The at home teeth whitening method can usually be expected to make at least some improvement in shade for teeth found in all of the categories discussed above, however certain types of tooth darkness will be more resistant to whitening than others. Whitening does not work on about 12% of the population. Yellow shades typically whiten more quickly than gray shades.

Those people who feel that they were pleased with the shade of their teeth when they were younger but now, at an older age, have found that their teeth have yellowed somewhat will most likely find the results of the at home teeth whitening method very satisfactory. This type of staining, which is often due to exposure to chromogenic agents such as tea and coffee, is commonly resolved by two to six weeks of bleaching. Fairly dark tooth staining that has been caused primarily by a person's smoking might take upwards of three months of treatment to successfully whiten.

Dr. Berg will be happy to discuss whitening options with you.