Teeth whitening is the best thing to have happened for people with stained and discolored teeth. People have been able to make their teeth whiter by taking advantage of the various teeth whitening products and teeth whitening methods available. However, like all good things, teeth whitening has its own set of disadvantages. People who have opted for tooth whitening have experienced different complications that range from mild irritations to severe pain.
In a craze for getting that flashy Hollywood style smile, the majority of people rush into teeth bleaching without realizing if there are repercussions. Although it isn’t too dangerious, teeth bleaching can cause problems. People who use various kinds of
home remedies for teeth whitening may incur indirect effects to tooth enamel and gums. When people use home remedies, they usually rely on acidic properties of certain fruits. This acid can deteriorate your teeth's enamel and make a person's smile worse than ever.
In regards to over the counter and dental whitening products, prolonged bleaching can lead to severe irritation in the teeth and gums. Teeth whitening products make use of chemicals like Hydrogen Peroxide that need to be used in the right concentration and right quantities to have the desired effects. People who use tooth whitening products at home do not pay much attention to their correct usage. Teeth whitening, like any other treatment or surgery, needs to be done under the supervision of an expert. A dentist is the right person to consult regarding this subject. If done properly, which requires consulting a dental expert, teeth whitening is harmless. It is only when people buy teeth whitening products over the counter and use them without following the proper directions that it is dangerous.
First and foremost, the chemicals that the tooth whitening products use like hydrogen peroxide can cause irritation to the delicate and soft tissues in your mouth. When teeth bleaching is done in a dentist’s office, the dentist takes care of this by placing a dental dam to prevent the chemicals from getting in contact with anything besides the teeth. Many people have reported a prolonged and increased
sensitivity in their teeth to hot and cold things like coffee or colas. Gum irritation is not uncommon. There is a probability of the teeth whitening product being ingested by the patients, causing nausea, vomiting or a burning sensation.
Recently, there has been talk about a study done in Georgetown University, which says hydrogen peroxide may cause tongue cancer. This study is based on the results of two people in their 20’s getting cancer. It is important to note that the study looked at only 19 people who used teeth whiteners. Researchers theorize that when hydrogen peroxide in the gel leaks from trays it releases cancer-causing "free radical" cells, which may have caused the tongue cancer.
However, Dr. Gerard Kugel, from Tufts Dental School says:
“It's been looked at many times over the years in animal studies and in human retrospective studies and there is no evidence of any link between peroxide and oral cancer. We've bleached millions of people, I mean it's almost amazing how many people whiten their teeth with so few problems related to it in contrast to other things we do in dentistry or medicine. To me, it's one of the safest things we do at this time in dentistry. ”
Remember, if you are using over the counter teeth whitening products, follow the directions, do not over-use, and use a reputable company.
- TeethWhiteningReviews.com
tags: teeth whitening problems , teeth whitening pain
My upper lip swelled to 5 times it's size, and still not subsiding, ruining my holyday weekend. I want to know if my lip has been exposed to UV rays to dangerous proportions. I like the color results, but the fried lip is not only a nuisance, but a real danger. One hour of UV rays cooking my lip could be deleterious to my health , I am concern about cancer to the lip.
I think this procedure should not be done untill the safety of both lips can be guaranteed. I deem this procedure "unprofessional" and cruel
Had to start applications of antibiotics and have the lips numbed mostly of the time to be able to drink or eat.
television report. Please contact via email
chuck_musgrove@yahoo.com
or by phone (405)478-6395.
Thanks
Chuck
It is still swollen, almost 24 hrs later, and there are 2 white dots (the size of small peas) on my upper lip in the inside.
Happy Thanksgiving to me!
The procedure itself felt like torture, not being able to move the whole time. I kept thinking of those poor souls in Guantanamo and how they endure torture for real!
I am reluctant to say but I didn't research it at all before I did it, which is not like me. I had no idea what the process involved until I got there.
Take care everyone...
C
I also can't believe they don't make you sign a release form before the procedure informing you of ALL the risks...
K
Email me at Caroliner@onebox.com
I am on day 6 of suffering. It is still hard to eat.
K
Btw i'm still pretty sore from it all, but it doesn't hurt. It's just swollen and I look like I'd had a lip job gone awry. :(
Visit this URL: http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/messageboard/viewforum.php?id=3
Had you had cold sores in that area before? If it is just cold sores why is your lip so huge and swollen? Was there one big blister or many smaller ones - which would be more typical for cold sores?
I suggest people take photos of their injuries for documentation, in case you want to go further with this. At least call the FDA. By the way, I called the American Dental Association and they didn't care a bit. You have to be a member dentist to be able to talk with someone.
K.
The burning on the inside of your lips is due to irratiation from the peroxide. This causes swelling and it usually lasts only a few days. I had it but I dealt with it. The dentist didn't offer me a refund, which pissed me off, but I also didn't compare it to Guantanamo. That person is definitely a liberal democrat dumbass.
Anyway, I just want to thank (almost) EVERYONE!!! I was about to get my teeth whitened tomorrow morning with ZOOM, and now I'm just going to cancel my appointment.
My teeth aren't that yellow, anyway. Definitely not yellow enough for the possibility of extreme pain and burns. My dentist told me it was completely safe and pain-free. hmmph.
No one compared teeth whitening to Guantanamo. Read more carefully. What do you gain by trying to diminish someone else's experience? A number of people are describing blisters and lip swellings, not just sensitivity due to peroxide. The light used with the light activated systems can cause soft tissue damage of this sort. It would seem that this is a faulty system. I think the manufacturers are exposing themselves to liability especially since there doesn't seem to be clear evidence that the lights are even necessary.
To those of you who have been injured, have you pursued any action through the FDA or other means? How can we collectively stop this from happening to someone else?
J
I would appreciate any stories or information of severe or long-lasting effects when using teeth whitening products. Either post them or send them via email: tommybball58@yahoo.com
The good news is that I didn't wake up a pea brained conservative ass. Whew!
Just think twice before getting something done like this with no knowledge.
Sincerly,
IN PAIN
email me: caroliner[at]onebox.com
K
ANYONE THINK PROMPT AND CORRECTIVE ACTION IS APPROPRIATE ?I'M IN !!
Im based in the UK and was just doing some research into teeth whitening and came across this site......Your stories have totally put me off ZOOM treatments.....Has anyone tried anything else which is effective but safe? I know i have sensative teeth and the last thing i want is to make them worse and potentially also burn my lips...... any suggestions would be much appreciated...........
Thanks
Zeena
Later during the day I went to the dentist office to show my dentist what happened. Coincidently my dentist had left the office and one of her partners checked out my lips. The partner wasn’t really helpful and was very much disconcerted about what I was going through. She actually was getting quite annoyed at my hostility. She told me that I will have to live with it for the next couple of days and apply more of the vitamin E oil even though I mentioned to her that it hasn’t been helping. The second day after the treatment I was in even more pain than the previous day. My inner upper lip and gums are totally sore that eating, brushing my teeth and even drinking liquids hurt. I called the emergency number of the dentist to speak again to my dentist to find out that she is out of town. I spoke to another partner of hers and was told to rinse my mouth out with warm salt water and to apply aquaphor to my lips. The warm salted water seemed to have given relief but only at the time of rinsing. My husband went to Walgreens to get the aquaphor just to be told by the pharmacist that it is used for cracked skin not to be used on the inside of your mouth. Real dumb advice from the dentist. During the course of the day it started to feel swelling spreading to my nose and that my nose was very sore along the cartilage area. I decided to go to doctor just to find out that the inside of my lips and gums are infected. I am now on antibiotics for the next 7 days and have to rinse my mouth with a lidocaine to numb the pain I am enduring. If I knew that this was going to happen I would have never done it especially for the price I had to pay for it. And the cherry on top of my story is that my teeth are not as white as I expected it to be.
Do anyone think that I can take legal action against my dentist or zoom or even both?
I was thinking of having my teeth whitened with Zoom for my sons wedding so that my smile is whiter. However, after reading these horror stories I'm not going to take a chance. It is totally not worth it.
Visit this link:
http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/zoom-whitening-class-action-lawsuit.php
I cant sleep. Have been to the dentist twice,ER once and my GP. Nobody can help me.
The dentist said that whatever was wrong was my fault and I did it to myself!
Swishing with lidocane/malox compound,what a life. The dentist should be hung.
I also suffered from a burnt upper lip after receiving the zoom treatment 4 days ago. It was awful and I iced it for a day and then used vaseline. Now on day 4 it is much better and I am now using a steroid cream from the doctor - it has healed instantly.
I also got a FULL refund from my dentist, who I think was in shock from the whole experience. He had never seen a patient with this kind of reaction before.
The good news is my lip is nearly back to normal, I am not out of pocket, and I will never bother with comestic uplifts again.
Regards,
Olivia
Colleen
I suggest you ice it as much as possible for the first day and then see a dcotor who can prescribe a cortisone cream (containing steroids). It will clear up way way quicker if you use this kind of prescribed cream. I would give it 5 days and you should be back to normal.
Best of luck for your wedding!
Olivia
Abraham
This procedure is NOT safe and should not be done.
Thanks,
Tom
Has this happened to anyone else and did it eventually go away?
I'll take my old yellow teeth any day over half marble colored yellow and bright white teeth.
I would not reccomend this procedure. If you are considering doing it before a special event (wedding, etc.) go far before in case you have an adverse reaction.
Sorry to hear about this. Your dentist should have warned you.
The good news is that the spots usually go away in 1-2 weeks (teeth need to rehydrate). My recommendation is to WAIT! Another option is to *continue* whitening until all the teeth match the color of the white spots. You can get a takehome custom mold tray and continue whitening at home using high concentration hydrogen peroxide. Have you discussed your problem with the dentist?
Thanks again!
Julia
For the rest of that day, all I did was twitch from continuous jolting pain.
Now to why I am adding my 2 cents.
I have always had senitive teeth,now x'S that by 100.. My front tooth (#9) starting feeing weird.It felt loose, but it wasn't. When I had my teeth cleaned in Dec. I mentioned this and they said it is probally due to my grinding. Well, in April I went back and had them take a x-ray of tooth #9...
I HAVE ROOT RESORPTION!!!!!!! The tooth is eating itself from the inside out !!! Very rare... I am now scheduled for a root canal, then a crown !!!! My teeth maybe brighter, but it is NOT worth it!! Hopefully it is only one tooth !!!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1745520
Has your dentist looked into stopping the resorption with calcium hydroxide?
I recently learned t I could only purchase gel from a dentist. One dentist wanted $79/syringe! That did not make me happy. Thank goodness for the Internet - I purchased a comparable product of equal strength without flouride. The price was far more reasonable. I'll see if it whitens without sensitivity and tooth damage.
And so can the North Vally family dentist practice all of them ignorant bitches.
Let me first say that I don't recommend the Zoom light to everyone. I strongly urge people to try the custom whitening trays first because it's cheaper and just as effective. As a dentist, I can offer three strengths of bleach depending on your sensitivity levels. It is normal to experience mild to moderate cold and air sensitivity but it ususally doesn't last more than 24 hours. This does take around 10 sessions of wearing the trays to get the best result and I tell my patients to skip a day inbetween if the sensitivy bothers them. And you still have to be careful you don't put too much bleach in the trays because it can cause a sensation like a pizza burn.
I only recommend Zoom to patients who know they will not or cannot wear the trays. It's good for the busy traveller who may lose their trays or can't remember to wear them. If someone does have an upcoming event, I definitely recommend doing it at least 2 weeks ahead of time in case there is any discomfort or swelling. It cost more because it does take up chairtime that could otherwise be used for other procedures. The sensitivity is different in the form of zingers (shock like sensations that I have experienced first hand- they made me irritable but subsided after 24hrs but everyone has different thresholds) and tissue irritation. There is a lot of protection that we try to apply to avoid any burning but the bleach is clear and difficult to see. Burning and pain is not common during the procedure and you should have the dentist stop the light if you feel this.
I've had maybe 5 patients who have experienced this burning. One person tried to repeatedly use her cellphone despite our warnings. The others could have very well been our fault. We are human and don't mean to cause discomfort. Again the bleach is clear and looks like saliva if on the tissues. I will say that Vitamin E gel, ibuprofen, or a mild narcotic or ointment such as lidex prescibed by your dentist may help. The pain may get gradually worse before better, similar to the way an apthous ulcer comes on.
I realize that I may be bashed for my comments and career but I am trying to help. I'm sure there are some "ignorant bitches" out there but I hope they are in the minority. Millions of people have successfully bleached without major discomfort. I have bleached my own teeth as well as my family's teeth and would not have done so unless I felt it could be done safely and effectively.
So good luck out there!
In other words, I don't think that the dentist's office should be blamed or called inappropriate names. I believe many dentists get into the profession to help people (such as me) to once again be able to have a beautiful smile :) ...
I do, however believe that the patient needs to be given more warning information from the dentist's office before deciding on the procedure.
I had the zingers for a little while too, but my main problem is that I had one of my front bottom teeth begin to itch (kinda inside my gums) and now here we are 2 days later and my whole inside lip/gums on the bottom is swollen and sore. My chin even hurts from this whole thing.
I am not sure what to do, I have taken pain killers and am taking some antibiotics just in case, but I am thinking maybe I should call the dentist tomorrow and make sure this is "normal".
burned lips inside and out
throat burns
and geographic tongue which an Oral Surgeon wants to cut out a piece to send off for evaluation. I am not having my tongue cut.
Also, a burn on my lip which has to be stitched together after he removes the burn.
No one seems to care or do anything about this ZOOM proceedure.
What else can one do.....
The process was time consuming and produced some short lived shooting pains in some of my teeth but my dentist must have done a good job protecting my surrounding tissues as I got no burns. At the end of the first 1 minute session, my upper gums were burning and the dentist reapplied the protective gel which took away that problem. I did well after the 3 fifteen min sessions and only had fleeting pains in various teeth. I did awaken this morning with tooth pain...feels like a bad tooth ache and I am very tired. Will take some Advil with hopes to get rid of this pain.
It may be a long day! I think I am very happy not to have my old yellowed teeth color but should feel even better in a couple of days.
Sondra in San Jose
Are my teeth white? Yeah, they're a lot whiter.
Would I do this again? HELL NO. Definitely not worth the pain, discomfort and utter embarrassment.
Imagine riding the bus and getting strange looks from fellow riders all the way home. I tried to hide my ridiculously swollen upper lip as much as possible. It sucks.
I will NEVER do this procedure again. Ever. If I had known there was a good chance of this happening, I wouldn't have done it.
I have never received the treatment but encourage past and potential receivers of th treatment to ACT OUT !
My swollen lip went away two days after the procedure, as did the soreness. Now everything is fine (thank God).
I was told by my dentist that my experience happens to a "very small percentage of people." He also said my lips probably burned because I don’t have a lot of melanin in my skin. (I am super white—SPF 50 sunscreen was made for people like me.)
If you have a fair complexion and tend to burn in the sun, you are extremely likely to experience burning/swollen lips with the Zoom procedure. They don’t tell you that. My dentist did apply a “sunblock” to my lips but it was a low SPF--essentially worthless.
I am just grateful everything returned to normal in a few days. Still...I would absolutely NOT do this procedure again. I would not recommend it to anyone. It’s not worth it, unless you’re into gambling and/or pain.
My dentist seemed very disinterested during the whole procedure and only came in to check on me twice during the hour, while his assistant did all the work. Before he started I wasn't shown any colour charts to show how many shaded white my teeth might get, and I was informed about any possible after pain or side effects.
Once it was over two parts of my gum were very sore so they applied a 'nutrition' gel and told me it will heal very quick. Luckily I have no swelling like other have reported but am experiencing alot of pain.
To top it off, my teeth have lightened but it's not even whatsoever. Some teeth are half white/half original and most look patchy and stripey.
I'd saved up a fair while for this ($800 AU), and it was a birthday present for myself which I was excited to get. Now I'm just underwhelmed and dissapointed with the whole experience. The dentist I saw is the best in the city, appearing on Extreme Makeover blah blah blah, but my experience was extremely poor.
Thank you all again, and again sorry for your pain.
Thanks
gbinazz@gmail.com
I currently run my own bussiness in laser teeth whitening in the uk, and have done so for the last year. The product i use is beyond whitespa. Never in my time have i burnt a patient or they had swollen lips.
Could the zoom product be too strong? or the person applying being careless?
For all you guys thinking of having laser teeth whitening i would shop around, and always go with someone recommended and just because they may be a dentist does not make them the best!
I wish I had looked into this procedure more carefully. I'm usually not the type to listen to someone and go along with what they say, no questions asked. I guess you get what you pay for.... But I will be calling my dentist's office in the morning.
Just felt I also had to comment. I live in Cyprus. I had my zoom session done 5 days ago. My dentist made sure she put protective balm on my lips and around my face, I had to bite into a mouth gaurd for 2hrs during the whole procedure which kept my jaw still, so that the dentist could swab the teeth and not get any concentrate onto the gums etc. I had 4 x15minute sessions. Boy were they long!!! but i got through it. I did have quite a bit of tingling and sensitive shocks especially in the last 15 minutes. but the results are great. the only thing now is that I'm continuing the treatment at home with the gel and today, the 5th day, I'm experiencing quite a lot of sensitivity on all my teeth. My dentist said I should give the home bleaching a break for a day or two.
I did not experience any burnt lips or gums etc. You need to find an experienced Dentist who knows what they're doing. And most of all ASK QUESTIONS!!!
They also put in this plastic gadget to keep your teeth expsoed to the light and its pretty uncomfortable. I had slight tingling during the 4 15 mins sessions, but not too bad. They said it would feel strange for a few hours as my lips had been folded back. Its now 10pm and my gums are all fine, and no sensitive teeth so far. The lips are fine on the outside and inside, no burn marks or blotches. But...my upper lip feels kind of swollen and numb, kind of like i have stuffed some tissue paper in between the lip and upper gum. I dont know if it was the light or just being forced back but it feels swollen on the inside. I have taken some anti-histamine and some ibuprofen and just applied some ice after reading all the comments here. I wish i had come on here first and read everything befoer i had it done, i'm really scared i will wake up tomorrow with my gums and lips in a state - i will report back tomorrow
Looking at the shape of the blister, it seems pretty clear this is from the light, not a bit of bleach falling onto the lip. Also, i have faint freckles on my lips which i get when i'm in the sun. This area of lip must have been exposed to the light.
At the moment it really hurts to smile, but the swelling has subsided a little bit. I'm not sure how long the blister wil take to heal, it looks like it might fill with fluid. If you've ever burnt your finger, you wil know the feeling when you can feel the blood throbbing through it, imagine that in your lips, its just magnified so much. Last time i ate something really hot and burnt the roof of my mouth i had a small white blister on the roof of my mouth which looked the same and took about 3 days to clear up, so i wil report back for those of you who have the misfortune to have this happen and are looking for time answers.
To take the pain/swelling away - take ibuprofen, anti-inflammatory mouth gel and suck on ice cubes. Also gargling with lukewarm salt water is good for mouth blisters and helps them heal but god knows if it will work with this monster !
Forgot to mention the teeth....they are definately whiter, even though i can hardly see them...needles tosay i would not have had this treatment done if i knew there was even a remote possibility of this happening, the dentist told me nothing of these dangers. Its just not worth it.
http://www.best-herpes-treatments.com/herpes-statistics.html
http://www.herpes.org/herpesinfo/smartliving.shtml
This is what it says:
Ultraviolet Light
Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure (from the sun or tanning salons) is known to re-activate oral herpes infections. A Smart Living person would then avoid UV light exposure, or use a sunscreen of Factor 25 or higher on the face prior to UV exposure. People with genital Herpes recurrences would also be advised not to sun-bathe in the nude or use tanning beds nude.
---------------------
More than 80% of the adult population has oral herpes and a recent study suggests this number could be 98% among adults.
I was going to get my ZOOM treatment done before getting on the plane. Thank God I came upon this page first. I'm desperate to have nice white teeth, but this has put me off these treatments for life.
Good luck with your search for justice, you all deserve it!
Paul
I had zoom whitening 3 days ago and each day i wake up my lip is bigger .. today its huge ! yesterday i went back to the dentist as also having problems sleeping due to tooth pain ,i also have blistering at the back of my mouth which he said was due to my wisdom tooth ? and that the lip is something completely different .
I called the NHS and they said it is a reaction .. I am very embarrassed to leave my home as my top lip is 3/4 time its usual size .
I wish i had read this before hand as i do not usually have reactionsor allergic to anything .This is so not worth it !
Can anyone give advice ?or do i epect it to get bigger? or how long it takes to go back to normal?? or anything i can take for it .. ??
Please email me zoeeckett@gmail.com
Thankyou x
We luckily did not have any burning but we did ruin our beautiful smiles! our teeth are now marbled between two different shades of white,we are both in great pain in how sensitive our teeth are after the whitening not to mention the zingers! awful! we had to be on pain killers all weekend, I will not be going in to work tomorrow.......it's awful!
I just hope these spots on our once good teeth will go away .......our teeth look brittle and awful....I feel so foolish I didn't research it before...I feel taken and sadden I wasn't wise enough to protect my daughter from such awful pain .....she already had a beautiful smile I'm not sure why we wanted perfection...now I regret it so much, I'm hoping our teeth will heal and go back to some kind of normal soon.
If anyone is doing a lawsuit please let me know I'm in!
Regretfully Taken By ZOOM,
vv
Help!!! good luck to all
who mentioned the Burwood teeth whiting booth in Westfields. I have a leaflet from them and am considering doing it. They state that they use a "patented blue light (compared to others with harmful UV rays)"
Am I thinking that this is NOT Zoom? but an alternative safe way of whitening teeth
Kay
I give it a 7 on a scale from 1-10.
My teeth are a nice shade of white. I have sensitivity though.
I would recommend both crest and natural white. Good luck.
Has anyone else had any problems or nasty side effects with the custom fitted take-home whitening trays? I am considering this treatment as an alternative.
Thanks, RS
could happen I would never have done this procedure. It is not safe and the risk of suffering a severe burn is too great. I would not recommend it and say, "Buyer beware."
4 x 15 min procedure.
Halfway through, felt tingling in lower lip and told dental student about it (actually wrote it down for her, because you cannot talk during the procedure). Regardless, I felt that I could tolerate the tingling and she didn't make anything of it so we continued.
Immediately after the procedure, and for 36 hours after it, my lower lip was approximately 3-5 times normal size.
After 36 hours the swelling subsided to about 1.5 - 2 times normal size, but a white spot replaced the part of the lower lip that had swelling. Specifically, it's on the inside of the lower lip; if I have my mouth closed it can't be seen and I either open my mouth or slant lower my lower lip for someone to see the spot.
Is this white spot what everyone here refers to as a "blister"? Is it a burn mark? What is it?
It's been 5 days now since I had Zoom, and the white spot is still here.
To go along with some pain and a general feeling of lousiness.
Pain, even just a zing, is not worth the time and money wasted on tooth whitening. Also, teeth are NATURALLY yellow because of the calcium. Healthy teeth are cavity, plaque free and are a bit yellow. Movie star white isn't healthy and whitening is a useless procedure. Just don't do it. Don't listen to the dentists pushing for it and don't don't listen to those plugging the product. You don't know them, you can't trust them, you should definitely not put chemicals and UV light in your mouth like that. Another unhealthy fad like tanning booths, shaved pubic hair and fake nails. Not worth it.
What is causing this? have i damaged my teeth enamel permanently? will they become smooth again?
E-MAIL: kimmywayne@verizon.net.
However it was in the days following the procedure that I noticed the most worrying side-effect: the ends of my two top front teeth have turned almost transparent, the effect when I smile is that of a grey band across my teeth where the top teeth overlap the bottom ones. This, to me, is more unsightly than any amount of yellowness (of which I didn't have much, it has to be said) and they look so thin and brittle that I am in constant fear of chipping them. Add to that the increased sensitivity that I still live with (eating an apple is enough to send shock waves of pain through my front teeth) and I cannot recommend highly enough that people stay away from this product!!!