Dental products: The Irish Dental Association (IDA) has warned that some tooth-whitening products can cause heightened tooth sensitivity.
The IDA's chief executive officer, Ciara Murphy, also said that the benefits of many DIY tooth-whitening kits would only last a couple of weeks.
The IDA recommends people seek advice from their dentist before using any tooth-whitening products so the dentist can ensure they are using products that best suit their needs and discuss any risks associated with the hydrogen peroxide levels contained within the products, according to Ms Murphy. "Dentists can deal with adverse reactions and recommend toothpastes if there are heightened sensitivities," she said.
Meanwhile, Ireland's newest health insurer, Vivas Health, said yesterday that it was offering tooth whitening on all its core hospital plans from March 1st. The company claimed to be the first health insurer in the world to offer this to its clients.
It insisted that the service which it offered exclusively through Smiles cosmetic dentistry clinics in Dublin and Cork was carefully supervised.
Vivas Health chief executive Oliver Tattan said: "A lot of people are well and at work and they want to get something back from their health insurance."
Emmet O'Neill, the co-owner of Smiles Clinics with Dundalk-based orthodontist Hugh Bradley, said the clinic offered free consultations with clients to determine their suitability for tooth whitening.
"People have a full consultation which includes a power point presentation with a dental nurse and a dental examination by a dentist to make sure no treatment is required," said Mr O'Neill.
"Then we take a scan of the teeth to show the colour and a simulated whitening. We then give them a 10-minute test to check the sensitivity of their teeth and how responsive they are to whitening gel."
According to Mr O'Neill, clients are then offered a choice of an hour-long, in-surgery approach or an at-home system in which they use a weaker tooth- whitening gel for one hour each day for 10 days.
Vivas offers €250 off the €600 cost of the in-surgery approach and €100 off the €350 home-based approach.
One dentist in south Dublin said that a lot of people were not suitable candidates for tooth whitening or bleaching.
"It is only suitable for intact teeth [ ie teeth without filling or crowns] because the carbamide peroxide won't bleach porcelain or composites [ white filling material]. If you bleach with crowns or filling in place, it can make someone's teeth look patchy."
Another general issue about tooth whitening, he highlighted, was that it could cause erosion of teeth, sensitivity and stripping of the gums.
For all these reasons, many dentists are now advising suitable patients to opt for a home-based approach to tooth whitening which involves wearing a customised splint with a lower concentration tooth-whitening gel left on the teeth overnight for several weeks.
A VHI spokeswoman said that tooth whitening was not covered by the VHI Decare Dental plan nor under its general medical insurance.
"We consider it a cosmetic procedure and therefore we don't cover it," she said.
A BUPA spokeswoman also said tooth whitening was not covered under any of its health insurance schemes because it was "not medically necessary".
