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.
