Laura long to learn: In my home country Argentina they sell Blanc Dient, to whiten your teeth. Every 100 ml contains 10 grams of Carbamide peroxide. It comes with a brush, you dry your teeth, brush it on your teeth, let it dry for 30 seconds. You have to do that every day for 2 weeks. Does this really work?

The Left Brain responds:
Thanks for your question, Laura. We’re not familiar with Blanc Dient but carbamide peroxide is a well known teeth whitening ingredient and has been used in the US since 1989.

Chemical tooth whiteners

You can think of carbamide peroxide as a stabilized form of hydrogen peroxide, a common household antiseptic. (It’s actually a combination of hydrogen peroxide and urea.) When hydrogen peroxide breaks down it releases oxygen, which reacts with the stained material on your tooth’s enamel. Essentially the peroxide bleaches the enamel and that’s what makes teeth look whiter.

Hydrogen peroxide releases oxygen very quickly, which is a problem for two reasons: it can be difficult to formulate with and high levels can have a damaging effect on soft gum tissue. One way around these problems is to use carbamide peroxide because it breaks down much slower (it releases about 50% of its hydrogen peroxide in the first two to four hours and then the remainder over the next two to six hours.) This slower release process provides a more gradual whitening effect without damaging gums.

Does Blanc Dient work?

While the product does contain a high level of an effective ingredient, carbamide peroxide usually must be left on the teeth for an extended period of time, even up to two hours, to be effective. 30 seconds is probably not enough time to provide significant whitening. That doesn’t mean it won’t work at all (remember, even a “regular” toothpaste can have a mild whitening effect just from reducing surface stains) but there may be more effective products that you could use, like Crest White Strips. You can learn more about teeth whiteners from the American Dental Association.

According to the Pierce Mattie blog, today is National Fresh Breath Day!

In honor of this momentous occasion we thought we’d post links to a couple of posts we’ve previously done on the subject.

1. How Do Teeth Whitening Mouthwashes Work?
2. Should You Use Teeth Whitening Strips?
3. Natural Truth Paste

Now, go take a tic-tac or see if you can borrow a piece of Orbitz gum from a co-worker.

Jackie says: “I just read that P&G, who makes Crest, is launching a new toothpaste with natural extracts. That sounds like a marketing gimmick to me, but you Brains are always saying that P&G has a lot of researchers and that they have good formulas. So what’s the truth about this natural toothpaste?” The Right Brain brushes up:

Jackie, while the Left Brain and I do believe that P&G generally has some of the best formulas on the market, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t above jumping on a hot marketing trend. And natural extracts are one of the hottest trends around.

The new product you`re referring to is Crest’s Nature`s Expressions toothpaste, which combines Crest`s basic anti-cavity formula with essential oils of peppermint, lemon, or green tea. These extracts are known to have beneficial properties: peppermint is calming to the digestive tract; lemon in a natural astringent, and green tea contains powerful antioxidants. Unfortunately, these properties really don’t have much application to toothpaste.

The Beauty Brains Bottom Line: Is Crest Nature’s Expressions a good toothpaste? Yes, based on P&G’s track record it most likely is. But not BECAUSE it contains natural extracts.

Emma Wants White:
Hi! I love the site & am an avid reader! I am very interested in comparing ingredients between products nowadays thanks to your blog. My question is, is there a difference between using those whitening mouthwashes, and just swishing some hydrogen peroxide around your mouth? Since usually the first or second ingredient is peroxide that I can buy for less than $1.50 for a huge bottle, compared to the $6+ for these whitening mouthwashes, I was just curious.

The White Brain, uh, the Right Brain, Responds:
Smile Emma! We think the bigger question here is: do these mouthwashes really whiten your teeth? According to the ADA, professional toothwhitening is the way to go. Gee, what a surprise, the American Dental Association is firmly coming down on the side of paying dentists to do all your teeth whitening. But wait, perhaps we’re too cynical too soon. They also say that there are peroxide-based whitening products that you can buy over the counter and use at home!

Specifically, there are two ADA approved ways to whiten your teeth: you can bleach the stains (which is what whitening strips do) or you can physically abrade them (which is what toothpaste does). There’s no mention of whitening mouthwashes - why do you think that is?

Probably because mouthwashes can’t deliver a high enough concentration of the bleaching agent for a long enough period of time without damaging the tissue in the rest of your mouth. Remember, strips and toothpaste are applied directly to your teeth; mouthwash touches every where in your mouth.

There doesn’t seem to by anything wrong with using a “whitening” mouthwash, it just seems unlikely that it will be very effective - at least not as effective as the other methods. And the same goes for gargling with hydrogen peroxide.

Sure, there are lots of negative things associated with microbes, but we`re happy to report that they`re not all bad. While you`ve probably heard of probiotics, you probably haven`t heard about these organisms. Researchers are reporting here that they`ve isolated a bacterium that can actually remove foul odors linked to bad breath and stinky feet.

These micro organisms, known as methylotrophic bacteria, are odor eaters that feast on the smelly sulfur-containing compounds produced inside your mouth during the digestive process. They are naturally found inside your mouth but at relatively low levels. Scientists believe that increasing the levels of these beneficial organisms (through a mouthwash or toothpaste) can lead to natural, long lasting solutions to bad breath.

Similar organisms were previously found living on feet. In the future, they may be formulated into a lotion to stop smelly feet.

As regulars of the Beauty Brains community, you know how we love natural products. And nothing gets more natural than bacteria. Rubbing them on your feet or rinsing them in your mouth may not sound appealing, but they just may be the most natural way to solve some real cosmetic problems.

Berni is Bemused:
I drink a lot of coffee when I’m pulling all nighters and I notice my teeth are getting stained. Will teeth whitening strips do any good?

The Left Brain Responds:
Actually, teeth whitening strips are a real technology innovation in dental care. In case you ‘re not familiar with them, they consist of thin strips of plastic (polyethylene to be precise) that are coated on one side with a gummy mixture of ingredients that include hydrogen peroxide. You simply apply strips to your front and bottom teeth and let them stay there for about 30 minutes. The peroxide reacts with the stains on your teeeth and release oxygen which bleaches the color out of the stains. The result is whiter teeth after about a week or two of usage. Check out Animated-teeth.com for more details.

Do they really work? Indeed they do. Clinical studies by P&G (makers of Crest white strips) have shown that they are both safe and effective. This isn’t surprising since they’re using a lower concentration of the same active ingredient (hydrogen peroxide) used by dental professionals. (Professional products contain 15% to 43% peroxide, over-the-counter products, use 3% , 6% or 10%). Of course how well they work will depend on a variety of factors including how badly your teeth are stained and how consistently you use the strips. At least one Beauty Brains affiliate has tried them and seen positive results.

Is there any downside to using them? Well, there are some issues but nothing that should stop you from using them. First of all the strips really only cover the front teeth so it’s hard to get a uniformly whiter smile. True, you can’t see the back and side teeth as well, but still, it would be nice if the strips worked on them as well. Also, some people develop a tooth sensitivity as a result of contact with the peroxide, which can be uncomfortable. But there’s nothing inherently dangerous about using them if you follow the directions.

For more Q & A on this topic go to Dermadoctor.com. Our fave FAQ is about accidentally swallowing the strips!

Cosmetics and Toiletries magazine cites a tasty piece of research done by the Monell Chemical Senses Center:

Monell Chemical Senses Center announced that a scientific paradox linking artificial sweeteners with a sensory experience, in which plain water takes on a sweet taste, has guided researchers to an increased understanding of how humans detect sweet taste. As reported in Nature, scientists from Monell describe how certain artificial sweeteners, including sodium saccharin and acesulfame-K, paradoxically inhibit sweet taste at high concentrations. The researchers further reported that taste perception switches back to sweetness when these high concentrations are rinsed from the mouth with water, resulting in the aftertaste experience known as sweet water taste.

Well Beauty Brains, what does this have to do with personal care products, you ask? Well, imagine a mouthwash or toothpaste that doesn’t taste sweet when you use it, but “magically” makes anything you drink AFTER you brush your teeth taste sweet! Is it really possible? We’re not sure, but the concept of a Stealth Sweetener is intriguing.

Mouthwash - it’s not just for breakfast anymore… You have to admire the scare tactic taken by this particular ad: “Not until the last vestige of dandruff is gone, can you be considered a fastidious person, acceptable socially.” Apparently, the threat of “non-fastidiousness” was sufficient to drive even the most callous dandruff sufferer to try virtually ANY product to rid them themselves of those unsightly flakes. One has to wonder if this advertising approach was dropped once the marketers of Listerine realized they could boost sales just as well by scaring people with the threat of bad breath.

Right Brain