Tanda Pearl Teeth Whitening

I have TMJ Disorder and am trying to whiten my teeth. My dentist told me to wear the trays for an hour a day. The problem I am running up against is that wearing the trays seems to be irritating my TMJ. I came across an advertisement that claims you can get results just wearing them 5 minutes a day. I think my jaw could handle that. Do you know if this is a safe treatment? It is over-the-counter.

Pamela

Dear Pamela,

Before I go over the Tanda Pearl, I want to suggest that you ask your dentist if he had custom fit your teeth whitening trays to your bite. That will impact the comfort on your jaw. If your dentist is not skilled in diagnosing and treating TMJ, find one that is who offers teeth whitening. They will factor this in.

As for this particular product, there are a few things to consider here. What it has working for it is the whitening ingredient. That part is legitimate. That being said, there are two things which concern me, one of which will have a huge impact on your jaw pain. The first is the ionic light. I can’t find any documentation on this and feel like it is just there for psychological reasons. I don’t think it does any good.

The big problem, however, is the trays. These are formed by you biting down on a material until it hardens. Instead, of two separate trays, one for the top and one for the bottom, this is a single tray that you will have to continue to bite on to keep it in your mouth. I think that forced biting will cause more of a complication than your TMJ is already experiencing.

Additionally, it will not be a good fit. You’ll have saliva getting in, which dilutes the gel. You will also have gel getting out, which means it is not on your teeth. Plus, that could irritate your gums.

You would be better served by having your trays checked and, if need be simply wear the separate trays you have for less time. Your teeth will still whiten. They just whiten faster the longer you wear them. There is nothing that says you have to wear them an hour a day. If that is hard on you, wear them less. Try 30 minutes, or even 15 minutes.

This blog is brought to you by Nashville Cosmetic Dentist Dr. David Wickness.
Click here to learn about smile makeovers.