‘The dentists are gatekeeping this’: Expert issues warning on viral whitening strips that ‘rebuild your teeth’
An orthodontist on TikTok posted a warning on the viral whitening strips that supposedly “rebuild your teeth.” She says this is only partially true.
Dr. Sable (@bracesbysable) has reached over 56,000 likes on her viral video.
She begins by stitching another creator who was recommending the strips to her audience. The product @liv_irl recommended is the Snow Diamond Series Whitening Strips. She claimed one of its benefits is it "basically rebuilds your teeth.” She also claimed, “The dentists are gatekeeping this.”
After playing 12 seconds of @liv_irl’s video, Sable tells her audience, “So many people tagged me in that video, so let’s talk about it.”
She summarizes @liv_irl’s claims that since the strips contain nano-hydroxyapatite, allowing them to dissolve on your teeth will help rebuild them and get rid of cavities.
“That’s kind of true, but not really, so let’s get into it,” Sable says.
What did the other TikToker get wrong?
Sable then shares a photo of a tooth with a fully-formed cavity. “If you have a cavity that looks like this,” the Snow whitening strips will not help you, she says.
Sable explains that a cavity at that stage has already infected the enamel on your tooth, so a white strip will not “magically regrow your tooth.”
So, how can the strips help?
Sable says that before a cavity becomes fully formed, what you have is called an incipient lesion. “A very, very, very, very, very tiny cavity,” she adds.
According to her, if a dentist sees an incipient lesion on your tooth, they normally “watch it” for the next six months before determining whether it needs to be filled. She says the Snow whitening strips can fix this type of cavity.
“Basically, your dentist is seeing that the enamel has been eaten away a little bit by the bacteria,” she continues, “and you can rebuild that enamel or stop it from getting worse if you apply fluoride or nano-hydroxyapatite.”
Before ending her video, Sable mentions that “these are just strips,” so there is no guarantee that they will help rebuild your tooth from a small cavity.
“I just don’t want people to buy these and think that it’s gonna fix your cavities and you don’t have to go to the dentist because that is not true,” she adds.
@bracesbysable PSA on these strips!!! ???????? #braces #cavity #teethwhitening ♬ original sound - Dr. Sable | Orthodontist
Betterbiom confirms that nano-hydroxyapatite has been extensively studied and proven to be effective in “remineralizing tooth enamel and preventing early stage of cavities.”
“Nano hydroxyapatite toothpaste can aid in remineralizing and repairing early-stage cavities by replenishing lost minerals in the enamel and promoting crystal growth,” it continues. However, for more advanced cavities, “dental professionals intervention such as fillings may be necessary to restore the tooth's structure and function.”
What else should you know about whitening strips?
Dr. Sable previously went viral for another PSA warning about drinking colored drinks after teeth whitening. She says you may end up with a “ruined smile” as whitening strips make your teeth porous and extra susceptible to the strong dyes found in some beverages.
The Daily Dot reached out to Dr. Sable via TikTok direct message and email.
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