Toothpaste may remove surface stains but they don’t play a role in whitening teeth so scientists created a hydrogel that helps whiten teeth safely.
This may be the first method of teeth whitening that doesn’t harm enamel like some over-the-counter teeth whitening products.
To conduct the experiment, researchers combined bismuth oxychloride nanoparticles, copper oxide nanoparticles and sodium alginate into a thick mixture. Then, they evenly coated the mixture onto the surface of teeth stuck to a slide and sprayed the concoction with a calcium chloride solution, forming a strongly adhering hydrogel.
The team tested the material on teeth stained with coffee, tea, blueberry juice and soy sauce placed in a lab dish. With the hydrogel treatment and green light, the teeth became whiter over time, showing no damage to the enamel.
In fact, the experiments further showed that the new whitening treatment killed 94% of bacteria in biofilms.
Researchers say that their new discovery of teeth whitening not only brightens teeth but also prevents cavities.
