Do Teeth Whitening Strips Ruin Your Teeth? Here Are Some Alternatives To Try

The short answer is yes, whitening strips do damage your tooth enamel. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve used teeth whitening strips before to clean up my teeth. But then I started looking into the strips’ ingredients more, as well as the effects of continued teeth whitening, and let’s say I wouldn’t continue using them if I wanted dental longevity! 

Americans have spent over a billion dollars on teeth whitening strips and other whitening products. The majority of the time, these products are simply quick fixes to the problem and include damaging chemicals as a solution. Now, whitening strips are ok to use once in a blue moon, like before heading to a job interview, a first date, or a photo shoot, when you want a little smile touch-up to make a good impression. But what will our teeth look like down the road if we’re continually applying chemicals to our teeth and stripping off the outer layers, bit by bit? 

The Cons of Whitening Strips

Your teeth contain three layers: the outer enamel, the dentin, and the innermost layer of connective tissue that connects your teeth to your gums. There are two reasons why natural alternatives offer better options: 1) frequent and even semi-frequent use of whitening strips will wear away your teeth’s outer protective layer of enamel, and 2) your inner dentin layer is damaged and weakened over time. 

Teeth whitening strips often contain highly concentrated amounts of hydrogen peroxide and chlorine dioxide (which is an acidic bleach used to clean pools), both of which will damage not only your enamel but also your dentin layer. Dentist John T. Grbic says concentrated amounts of hydrogen peroxide will oxidize dentin proteins, causing tooth sensitivity – which is why your teeth feel tingly or sensitive after using chemical whitening products! It’s not so much an issue of short-term use with diluted amounts, but frequent and long-term use will cause tooth damage. Using whitening strips won’t ruin your teeth if just used every once in a rare, rare while, but make sure they don’t contain chlorine dioxide and brush your teeth before applying, not right after.  

Teeth whitening strips often contain chlorine dioxide, an acidic bleach used to clean pools.

Why the Stains?

Our teeth can get stained from exposure to dark-colored, acidic foods like tomato-based sauce, red wine, and coffee; spinach and curry can also stain teeth. Substances high in tannins have a stripping effect that causes wear and tear on tooth enamel; red wine and even some herbal teas contain tannins. Smoking will also cause tooth stains and even tooth weakening; most longtime smokers have yellowish, stained teeth, and some lose their teeth after a while. The smoke residue stains the teeth, especially with cigars (tobacco stains are no joke). 

What To Do?

So, you may ask, how can we clean up our smiles without wrecking our teeth? For starters, consistently brush your teeth. Brush immediately after eating, especially after coffee, red wine, tea, spinach, and curry. It might seem like a hassle, but your efforts will pay off in the end! Use a softer head toothbrush, as hard brushes are rougher on enamel. 

When drinking acidic liquids like red wine, coffee, tomato/lemon juice, and tea you can minimize tooth contact by mindfully drinking these liquids with a straw.