News

Thanks to the hypnotic effect of the Hollywood smile, glow-in-the-dark pegs have migrated to the mainstream. But the widespread use of whitening toothpaste, mouthwash and home kits - products that often contain sodium hydroxide, considered a poison by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration - have worrying health implications, not to mention their effect on waterways as they swirl down the sink.

1.4

Billions of dollars spent in the United States last year on over-the-counter tooth-whitening products.

14 in 20

Number of tested DIY kits found to contain above-allowable levels of hydrogen peroxide, a mouth-damaging chemical commonly found in hair dyes, according to a recent study from the British Trading Standards Institute.

0.1

Maximum percentage of hydrogen peroxide allowed in tooth-whitening kits in the European Union. Health Canada considers 3-per-cent hydrogen peroxide a safe level.

80

Percentage of the 139 U.S. streams found in a 2002 study to be contaminated with man-made chemicals and hormones. Among them was the common tooth-whitening ingredient Triclosan, which causes thyroid disruption in frogs (human thyroid-signalling systems are nearly identical).

The Bottom Line

Bleachoholics should consider the cost of their quest for the whiter-than-whites. For centuries, people in India and Africa have been benignly chewing on neem sticks, a natural disinfectant that polishes teeth. Health store options, such as Jason PowerSmile are chemical-free. The natural route only works at surface level, but maybe it's time to leave the dazzling blue-white effect where it belongs - on celluloid.