Tooth whitening dates back 4,000 years; today there’s Arm & Hammer Advance White Extreme
There is reason to believe that the practice of whitening teeth dates back as far as 2000 BC when ancient Egyptians would make a paste comprised of pumice stone and wine vinegar to whiten their smiles [1]. Things have come a long way since then; today’s whitening treatments tend to be peroxide gels, ultraviolet light and toothpastes with carefully chosen ingredients.
But why has this fascination with tooth whitening endured? From a biological point of view, white teeth can be seen as an indicator of good health. Although dental professionals know this isn’t necessarily true, straight, white teeth are recognised as an indicator of better overall health. In contrast, cracked, missing or decayed teeth send the opposite message – our primal instincts read these as the result of poorer general health [2].
White teeth are seen as more than just a good health indicator, they also impact how attractive a person is perceived to be. A survey that asked people to rank the physical feature they deemed most attractive in potential partners revealed that the smile was at the very top, beating other features such as eyes, hair and body shape.
This translates to is a significant demand for tooth whitening products among the general population. Before the pandemic, a survey of 1,000 Britons found that 43% of participants wanted tooth whitening or cosmetic procedures. Now this demand is likely to be even higher, as dentists have been reporting an increased demand for such treatments following the COVID-19 crisis.
For dentists, this is a great opportunity to provide whitening treatments in practice. However, it’s important to offer patients products they can use to maintain and optimise results at home.
Using whitening toothpastes, such as Arm & Hammer’s new Advance White Extreme is a simple way to aid their whitening progress. Combining the natural power of baking soda with its unique Liquid Calcium technology on a daily basis both whitens and strengthens teeth, helping to ensure a brighter, healthier looking smile.
The demand for tooth whitening is likely to remain high and people will want to explore the various options on offer, both in the dental surgery and at home, including the clinically proven whitening toothpastes from Arm & Hammer.
For more information, visit https://www.armandhammer.co.uk/ or email
Arm & Hammer oral healthcare products are available at Boots, Superdrug, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrison’s throughout the UK.
References:
1] The Seattle Times. A History of Tooth-Whitening. Link: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/a-history-of-tooth-whitening/ [Last accessed November 20].
2] Lee, Hee-Kyung et al. More Missing Teeth Are Associated With Poorer General Health in The Rural Korean Elderly. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. Jan-Feb 2010;50(1):30-3.
