'Perfecta' Teeth Drive Whitening Market

Figures from the Academy of General Dentistry show that US oral care has already grown into a $3.4bn market as of 2003. The continued growth has been accompanied by rising appreciation and concern over teeth, either for health or cosmetic reasons.

Thus, the country's dental product manufacturers have developed, improved and brought down prices across several toothcare lines, including electric toothbrushes, organic toothpastes, teeth-whitening kits, mouth washes and other related products. Health-and-beauty sections at supermarkets are also devoting more space to Oral B, Crest and other teeth specialists.

Beyond fluoride content for tartar control and a supporting seal from the American Dental Assocation, consumers are now also looking at the whitening agents present in toothpaste. Such toothpaste must have peroxide - the chemical that helps whiten teeth. Brands without peroxide can only eliminate stains, while toothpaste with low peroxide content would be more ideal as a back-up to whitening products.

Home-based teeth whitening, or bleaching, has already become a highly popular option to secure quality whitening without visiting the dentist. The process involves custom-fitting a tray to slip into the patient's mouth. This gel-filled tray is worn for an observed period of time until the expected whitening effect is achieved.

Perfecta is one of several brands identified with teeth whitening. A "perfecta" toothpaste is already available and even recommended for dental bleach users on a daily maintenance basis. The brand is also among those that have spawned a good number of "generic equivalents."

Another line bearing the name is the Perfecta Ultra gel series. The Perfecta Ultra 6 contains 6% hydrogen peroxide and should be applied at 100% the levels for carbamide peroxide solutions. This product comes with 3 syringes for light stains and 6 syringes for users with heavier stains.

The Perfecta Ultra line also includes the Perfecta 16% teeth whitening kit, which has a 16% carbamide peroxide tube and a specially-designed mouthpiece. However, some consumers have reported gum irritation with use of the product.

Perfecta has rival professional teeth bleaches in Nupro-Gold, Opalescence, Day-White and Nite-White. Despite having the same chemicals, whitening success and the development of sensitivity varied across the bleaches. These bleaches are also glycerin-based, contain fluoride for re-mineralization and potassium nitrate to calm nerves in the mouth.

Premier Dental Products has developed an alternative to the twice-a-day, 30-minutes-a-session whitening products now available in the market. The company's Perfecta REV! Refresher Pak takes only 15 minutes of wear time each day, with independent trials showing that users experienced less sensitivity with the product compared to professional strength strips. Premier also offers a Perfecta Bravo home treatment line.

Professional Teeth Whitening is another manufacturer of teeth whitening products using the Perfecta name. The company also offers other brands, including Opalescence, Nite-White, Rembrandt, and Nupro Gold, at 15% carbamide peroxide strength.

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Dental Association do not regulate teeth whitening products since they are not classified as drugs, some companies still seek approval from these regulators. One of them is Custom Bright, which has worked to secure an "Seal of Acceptance" from the ADA - signifying efforts to meet the agency's guidelines for product safety and effectiveness. Custom Bright's whitening gel has carbamide peroxide strength at 22%.

Sitemap:

Home

Articles