A recent study conducted at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester showed that the acid in orange juice has more negative side effects on tooth enamel than does the hydrogen peroxide used in professional and over-the-counter teeth whitening systems.
During the study, researchers subjected teeth to 20 minutes of daily exposure to a hydrogen-peroxide-based whitener. The exposure resulted in a 5.6 percent reduction of surface enamel. At the same time, researchers exposed teeth to 20 minutes of orange juice, and the surface enamel was reduced 84.4 percent.
The enamel surface became significantly weaker from the high levels of acid in the orange juice. Weakened tooth enamel not only leads to cavities, but also makes you prone to tooth sensitivity, which causes pain when eating hot or cold foods.
If you are going to drink orange juice daily, drink a reduced acid version, and drink it, do not sip it. Thirty minutes afterwards, be sure to rinse your mouth or brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste. It takes 30 minutes for enamel to re-harden.
The study also showed that peroxide in over-the-counter whiteners did not damage tooth enamel as significantly as did the orange juice. So if you were afraid that over-the-counter whiteners were harmful to your teeth, let your mind be reassured, professional whitening is safe.
If you have tried at-home whitening systems and are not satisfied with the results, call my Waco dentist office. I’m Corbet Locke, and I offer Zoom! in-office whiting as well as take-home whitening trays. Zoom! is one of the leading whitening systems. It could lighten your teeth 8 to 10 shades in one visit. If you would like your teeth to whiten in gradual steps, I recommend our professional take-home kits.