Modern-day research proves that teeth whitening products and particularly teeth whitening strips are largely responsible for the loss of a good amount of dental enamel, particularly if done at home. This could well range between 1.2-2 nanometres on the teeth that have been treated.

This teeth whitening damage is due to the varying potencies of bleaching agents such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, contained in teeth bleaching strips, among other products. These agents give rise to free radicals that attack pigment molecules contained in the organic parts of tooth enamel and weaken it. When the pigment is reduced, it means that the molecules do no reflect light anymore, and as a result, the teeth appear whiter than before.
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