I have TMJ Disorder and wearing my teeth whitening trays for an hour tends to aggravate my jaw.  I recently read about the Tanda Pearl system which allows you to whiten your teeth in just five minutes a day. That is very appealing to me. Do you know if it actually works? They say their light makes it work that fast.

Kathy

Dear Kathy,

What I’d like to do is go over some of the differences between the Tanda Pearl System and the type of whitening you get with a dentist, which should help you make a decision.

The Trays

The teeth whitening trays you have from your dentist, should have been custom fit to your bite. The fact that it seems to be aggravating your TMJ Disorder makes me wonder though.

They also have separate trays for each arch of your teeth. This allows you to go about your day more easily. You could even wear them while shopping if you wanted to and no one would notice (whether or not you’re wearing a mask). Many people simply sleep in them to get the most teeth whitening for their time.

The Tanda Pearl trays you create at home by biting onto impression material. This is a single tray that you have to clench onto in order to keep it in. In truth, this will do way more to harm your TMJ issues than help them. Clenching is one of the worst things you can do, even for just 5 minutes.

The Light

This system claims to have a patented ionic technology. I’m skeptical about this. There doesn’t seem to be any information given about the light. If it were really such a breakthrough, they would make a ton of money selling it to dental offices. They’ve never even tried, which makes me think the light is more for psychological effect than any real use.

One thing I recommend is you talk to your dentist about the pain you are experiencing in your jaw. In the meantime, you can cut down on the amount of time you are wearing your trays each day. If a shorter time appeals to you, wear them a shorter time, at least until your dentist figures out why they are causing strain on your jaw. Really, in as little as 15 minutes, the gel has time to soak into your teeth adequately enough to make a difference.

One Appointment Whitening

Another option for you is to get Zoom Whitening. Not every dentist has this option so you may have to call around, but it allows you to get your teeth completely whitened in just one appointment.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Deluane.