I have professional teeth whitening trays that my dentist said to wear for an hour a day to get optimum whitening. That has been aggravating my TMJ. I recently read an ad for Tanda Pearl Ionic Teeth Whitening. This one says you only have to wear it for 5 minutes twice a day. That appeals to me and I think it would be easier on my jaw. Are you familiar with this system? Would you say it works and, equally important, is safe?

Cyndy

Dear Cyndy,

The Concept

The Tanda Pearl system works using the same process that you’d get with the teeth whitening your dentist offers, though milder. The gel goes in a tray that you wear.

The Tray

There is a big difference in the Tanda tray and the tray you get at your dentist. With a professional tray, your dentist custom fits it to your bite, with a separate tray for each arch. This should be the type of tray you have. With the Tanda system, there is only one tray that you hold in by biting down on it. You could not sleep with it and certainly wouldn’t want to be seen with it in public, unless you enjoy weird stares. Plus, holding the tray in place will aggravate your TMJ Disorder significantly more.

The Time

My guess is they only have you wear it for 5 minutes because any longer than that would be painful. There is no magic to either that amount of time or the time your dentist prescribed. The longer you wear them the more the gel has time to work. If one hour a day is too hard for your jaw, then wear the trays for less time. I’d also talk to your dentist to make certain your trays are properly fitted to your bite. It shouldn’t be uncomfortable. In fact, usually, all a patient has to worry about with extended wear is the sensitivity of their teeth.

The Safety

As to whether or not it is safe, I would say yes. I don’t see anything that would make it unsafe. It has a mild teeth whitening strength, that combined with the short amount of time you wear it, there is little chance of sensitivity.

However, I think you’d still get better results just sticking with the teeth whitening you’ve already paid for with your dentist. I would lower the amount of time you are wearing the trays to minimize the aching in your jaw. I’d also make sure your TMJ problems are being addressed and not just diagnosed.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.