Bleachorexia- Addiction to a brighter s
mile has become a real problem.
Everyone wants perfect teeth, and people are doing whatever it takes to brighten their smile. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), 99.7% of Americans believe a smile is an important social asset.
At home teeth whitening strips are a recent product on the market that has emerged over the last decade. Easy for customers to get their hands on, people are over-whitening their teeth with these convenient strips. This has become a problem, and is also known as bleachorexia or bleach junkies.
Bleach Junkies are whitening their teeth beyond the recommended amount, leading to erosion of enamel. Enamel is the thin outer covering of the tooth. Unlike a broken bone that can be repaired by the body, once a tooth chips or breaks, the damage is done forever. Because enamel has no living cells, the body cannot repair chipped, cracked or eroded enamel. Dentists report that a bleaching junkie can be spotted right away and more and more people are victims of this addicting behavior.
