Teeth whitening has become a regular part of Americans' health and beauty care routine, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down as consumers spend millions of dollars a year to brighten their pearly whites. With nearly $300 million in sales of packaged teeth whitening systems, consumers can now protect their investment and help maintain the whiteness of their teeth by using a Sonicare power toothbrush, already clinically proven to reduce coffee, tea and tobacco stains. A recent clinical study conducted at Tufts University concluded that the Sonicare power toothbrush maintains the effects of teeth whitening treatments significantly longer than an ordinary toothbrush for six months after treatment.
According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), teeth whitening is the number-one requested procedure in cosmetic dentistry and has grown by more than 300% from 1996 to 2000. An AACD survey also showed that almost 74 percent of American adults believe a bad smile can hurt a person's chances for career success and almost 92 percent think it is an important social asset.
"Teeth whitening procedures are by far the most affordable, requested and performed cosmetic dental procedures," says Dr. Mike Malone, President of the AACD. "Maintaining a fresh, sparkling white smile after treatment by using a power toothbrush is a great way to maintain the investment consumers have made in their smiles."
In the Tufts University study conducted January 2002 to September 2002, patients' teeth were whitened with a home bleaching system administered by a dental professional. The study found that Sonicare maintained the teeth whitening effects for six months after bleaching, while those brushing with an ordinary manual toothbrush did not maintain the whitening effects as well over the same time period.
