Teeth whitening products can harm protein-rich toothlayer

Researchers show active ingredient in whitening stripsdamages dentin

치아미백제는 단백질이 풍부한 치아의 덴틴(상아질)를 부식시킬 수 있습니다.

기존 치아미백제의 치아에 미치는 영향은 단백질이 적은 치아의 외피에 해당하는 에나멜에 관한 것이 대부분이었습니다. 덴틴은 치아 에나멜 아래에 있는 단백질이 풍부한 층입니다.

가정에서 사용하는 미백제라 할지라도 과산화수소 농축액은 치아의 콜라겐 단백질을 부식시켜 사라지게 하기에 충분합니다.

따라서 치주질환으로 치아뿌리가 노출된 사람, 에나멜의 두께가 얇고 거친 사람, 탈회로 인해 일부 상아질이 노출 된 사람등은 치아미백을 자제하는 것이 바람직합니다.

치아미백시 치아 에나멜과 덴틴을 보호할 수 있는 트리트먼트를 함께 하는 것이 좋고 치아 미백 후에도 치아에 미네랄을 지속적으로 공급해 손상 된 에나멜과 덴틴을 회복시켜야 합니다.

Date:

April 9, 2019

Source:

Experimental Biology

Summary:

Americans spend more than a billion dollars on teeth whitening products each year. Although these products can make smiles brighter, new research shows that they might also be causing tooth damage.

In three new studies, researchers found that hydrogen peroxide, the active ingredient in over-the-counter whitening strips, can damage the protein-rich dentin tissue found beneath the tooth's protective enamel.

Undergraduates working in the laboratory of Kelly Keenan, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at Stockton University in New Jersey, will present this research at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting during the 2019 Experimental Biology meeting to be held April 6-9 in Orlando, Fla.

The tooth is made of three layers: the outer tooth enamel, an underlying dentin layer and connective tissue that binds the roots to the gum. Most studies of whitening strips have focused on tooth enamel, which contains very little protein. Kennan's research team focuses on dentin, which makes up most of the tooth and has high levels of protein, most of which is collagen.

It is well established that hydrogen peroxide can penetrate the enamel and dentin. Previous work by the researchers showed that collagen in the dentin layer decreased when teeth were treated with whitening strips.

"We sought to further characterize what the hydrogen peroxide was doing to collagen." said Keenan. "We used entire teeth for the studies and focused on the impact hydrogen peroxide has on the proteins."

In the new work, the researchers demonstrated that the amjor protein in the dentin is converted to smaller fragments when treated with hydrogen peroxide. In additional experiments, they treated pure collagen with hydrogen peroxide and then analyzed the proten using a gel electrophoresis laboratory technique that allows the protein to be visualized.

"Our results showed that treatment with hydrogen peroxide concentrations similar to those found in whitening strips is enough to make the original collagen protein disappear, which is presumably due to the formation of many smaller fragments." said Keenan.

The researchers point out that their experiments did not address whether collagen and other protein in the teeth can be regenerated, so ti ts unknown if the tooth damage is permanent. Next, they plan to further characterize the protein fragments released when collagen is treated with hydrogen peroxide and determine if hydrogen peroxide has the same impact on the protein in the teeth.  

Experimental Biology. "Teeth whitening products can harm protein-rich tooth layer: Researchers show active ingredient in whitening strips damage dentin."

ScienceDaily, 9 April 2019