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New York: Although the use of teeth whitening products makes your smile brighter, they can also cause dental damage, the researchers warned.
The study, led by researchers at Stockton University in the United States, found that hydrogen peroxide – the active ingredient in whitening strips – can damage the protein-rich dentinal tissue beneath the protective enamel the tooth.
Human teeth consist of three layers: the enamel of the outer tooth, an underlying layer of dentin and connective tissue that binds the roots to the gum.
Unlike most studies that have focused on tooth enamel, the new study has focused on dentin, which is the essential part of the tooth and contains high levels of protein – including most are collagen.
The team has demonstrated that the main protein of dentin is converted into smaller fragments when it is treated with hydrogen peroxide. In additional experiments, they treated pure collagen with hydrogen peroxide and then analyzed the protein using a gel electrophoresis laboratory technique that allows the protein to be visualized.
"Our results showed that a treatment with hydrogen peroxide concentrations similar to those found in the whitening strips is enough to remove the original collagen protein, which is probably due to the formation of many smaller fragments, "said Kelly Keenan, associate professor at the university.
The researchers pointed out that their experiments failed to determine whether collagen and other proteins in the teeth could be regenerated. Therefore, it is not known if the dental lesions are permanent.
In addition, they plan to characterize the protein fragments released when the collagen is treated with hydrogen peroxide and determine if the hydrogen peroxide has the same impact on the other proteins present in the teeth.
The results were presented at the 2019 Experimental Biology Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
(IANS)
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