The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - The Telegraph Magazine
The modern quest for a brighter smile
Safe and effective teeth whiteners that won’t make you a laughing stock
It’s the cautionary tale that, according to dental practitioners, is cited more than any other among men gingerly making enquiries about the shiny world of teeth whitening: will it make them look like Ross from Friends? For those not familiar with the sitcom, it features the hapless palaeontology lecturer whitening his teeth to a degree so preternaturally spooky that women flee screaming.
That, and the Rylan effect: however lovable the broadcaster may be, his teeth are of a shade that puts Daz to shame. Across social media (and perhaps because of social media), you’ll find a dementedly perfect grin on a perfectly run-of-the-mill personal trainer from St Albans who opens his mouth to reveal something that Stephen King or the creators of Twilight might have dreamt up.
It’s a booming sector: according to a report from Grand View Research, the teeth whitening industry will continue to grow by five per cent per year to more than $10 billion by 2030. That’s a lot of icy white incisors – and a lot of margin for error for those with the appetite to look as though they’ve applied a Tiktok or Instagram filter at all times, but don’t necessarily have the funds to match. Cue the rise in sub-par treatments and kits that cause more harm than good.
‘Unsafe teeth whitening products pose risks because often they bypass regulations, including levels of bleaching agent [six per cent is the legal limit for professional dental treatments], which leads to enamel damage,’ says dentist Dr Rhona Eskander, who runs her own clinic in Chelsea.
Some would say that if you’re vain enough to venture into the world of teeth whitening, you’re asking for it. But for those of us who enjoy coffee, red wine and the odd turmeric-infused curry, is there a happy balance to be struck?
‘Teeth whitening is achieved using hydrogen peroxide, and in the UK only dentists can prescribe over 0.01 per cent concentration, which means brands seek alternatives to get around that. Add in the fact that they aren’t run by dentists and it can lead to all sorts of harmful chemicals being used,’ says Dr Tom Crawfordclarke (drtomcrawfordclarke.com), who runs his own practice just off Harley Street. Athome methods may promise a fast fix, but they can use ‘organic acids’, according to Crawfordclarke, which make teeth look brighter but dehydrate them, doing untold damage.
‘I advise seeing a professional rather than ordering anything online. Otherwise the effects on the enamel of your teeth could be detrimental. Men are definitely concerned about the Ross effect – that supernatural glow – but we advise against anything overly “perfect”,’ says Crawford-clarke. Be wary of anything offering quick results, such as the cheap flights enticing men to Turkey for a fast fix. ‘You shouldn’t actively notice the blinding whiteness of anyone’s teeth. Slow and steady is always better and gives a natural colour that just negates that yellowing.’ Also ensure you’ve got a dental tray that’s properly fitted to your teeth via a mould, or else saliva leaks in and dilutes the whitening gel, or the gel seeps out.
To improve things gently without the expense and bother of using a whitening tray over several weeks, there are organic toothpastes and gels: the small, independent brand VVARDIS (vvardis.com) sells whitening toothpastes and serums without peroxide; unlike the cheap whitening strips of my misspent youth, these don’t transform teeth instantly, but softly whiten them over time. If in doubt, it sounds obvious, but go for brands created or run by actual dentists as opposed to the instant fixes served up via algorithms. Like the Love Island contestants who peddle them, they’re an Instagramfiltered mirage.