This amazing article was recently published in the Journal Of the American Dental Association, and I wanted to share this with everyone. Standard oral hygiene, such as brushing and flossing, can be difficult or impossible for patients with mental challenges or impaired manual dexterity. Additionally, when health problems or medications cause xerostomia, or dry mouth, the lack of saliva reduces the mouth’s natural protective mechanisms. These problems lead to plaque accumulation, cavities and periodontal disease, and could further impact the patient’s health.

A report featured on the cover of this month’s Journal of the American Dental Association noted that applying the tooth whitener carbamide peroxide through a custom-fit mouth tray might combat those problems. The report was based on a literature review and the authors’ clinical experiences with special-needs patients and tooth bleaching.

What we’ve noticed through whitening patients’ teeth over the years is that as they bleached, their teeth got squeaky clean and their gingival health improved,” said Dr. Van Haywood, professor in the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry and co-author of the report. Apparently, The carbamide peroxide in the bleaching gel removes plaque, kills bacteria and elevates the mouth’s pH above the point at which enamel and dentin begin to dissolve, which results in fewer cavities.