Blancorexia: what is it, causes, symptoms and how to combat it?

Blancorexia, the obsession with having extremely white teeth, can be very harmful.

Everyone would like to have a beautiful smile, with teeth that are well aligned, healthy looking and white, very white. In our culture we associate the whiteness of our teeth with beauty and health, which is why most people would like to have lighter teeth.

However, this desire can degenerate into an obsession for white teeth so extreme that sufferers are capable of undergoing dangerous and expensive treatments in order to meet their expectations of what a beautiful smile looks like.

This phenomenon is called blancorexia, an obsession that has been on the rise in recent years as the media has been promoting the ideal that the whiter the smile, the better.. Let's find out more about it.

What is whitorexia?

Virtually everyone dreams of having a beautiful smile, with teeth that are well aligned, complete, free of cavities and bright white. It is part of the Western canon of beauty the idea that an attractive person is one who, among other features, has white teeth, something we can see promoted in the media.This is something we can see promoted in the media if we look at what the most attractive celebrities look like. It doesn't fail: they all have perfect white teeth.

Although it may come as a surprise to many, healthy teeth are not absolutely white, healthy teeth are not absolutely white, but rather ivory-colored.. It is possible to make our teeth look lighter and more esthetically attractive through good oral hygiene habits as well as professional treatments such as teeth whitening. By going to a qualified dentist it is possible to make our teeth whiter in a healthy and balanced way, although they will never be absolutely white.

Unfortunately, there are many people who have internalized the idea that you can have absolutely white teeth, just as they see their favorite celebrities look. This fad of wanting whiter teeth has become dangerous, so much so that not only has the number of requests for professional teeth whitening treatment increased, but also the use of miracle products and pseudo-professionals who use methods that are dangerous to health. This obsession with white teeth has been called blancorexia.

People suffering from blancorexia have a distorted perception of the color of their teeth. have a distorted perception of the color of their teeth.. There is a real problem of body dysmorphia that, together with very unrealistic expectations about the color that teeth should have, causes the person to be unconvinced by the results of conventional treatments and resort to those that assure them that they will be able to have that pure white shade in their teeth.

Causes of this obsession

Whitorexia is an obsession that drinks a lot from the canon of beauty promoted by the media, both male and female..

In most of the Western world white-toothed people are perceived not only as individuals who take care of their health, but are also attractive and more trustworthy. As a counter effect, people with yellowish teeth are perceived as unpleasant, less attractive, unhealthy and untrustworthy.

It's hard not to see attractive people on TV or social media whose teeth are dazzlingly white. Most celebrities are seen with a white smile, done in a cosmetic dentist's office or resorting to photo retouching to make it look brighter than it really is. As many people want to look as attractive as the celebrities, their desire to imitate them is also growing, their desire to imitate them also shows up in an interest in having exaggeratedly white teeth..

The desire for white teeth has been exploited by unscrupulous brands that promote and market miraculous teeth whitening products. Added to this is the lack of information about the dangers of applying non-medically tested products for teeth whitening and without professional supervision..

What are the risks of whitorexia?

Most tooth whiteners, both legally marketed in pharmacies and those sold more unorthodoxly on the Internet, contain substances such as hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) and carbamide peroxide (hydrogen peroxide and urea) that are usually applied by means of splints. Although many products containing these substances are medically tested, their abusive use without professional supervision can result in unwanted effects..

Whitorexia brings the following medical problems:

• Dental hypersensitivity
• Gum irritation
• Gingivitis
• Cracks in the teeth
• Changes in taste perception
• Loss of tooth enamel
• Pulp necrosis
• Tooth loss

What makes our teeth white?

As we mentioned, absolute white is not natural in our teeth, nor is it possible to achieve it without risking our oral health. The vital moment in which our teeth have the highest degree of whiteness is during childhood, when we have milk teeth.when we have baby teeth. These infant teeth contain a smaller amount of dentin, a naturally yellow substance. And it should be said that even when we are small our teeth are not completely white.

Our teeth are not white, but rather ivory-colored. The shade of our teeth has an unavoidable genetic component, which determines how yellowish or whitish they are. The environmental factor should not be ignored, as the color of our teeth is also influenced by what we eat and our hygiene and dental care habits: medicines, foods that stain the teeth, smoking, drinking coffee or tea, brushing teeth 3 times a day, using mouthwash...

It is possible to make our teeth whiter by means of a dental whitening treatment under expert supervision. Through this type of intervention we can make our teeth lighter and cleaner, in line with our skin tone and other aesthetic factors that people suffering from whitorexia often overlook. In fact, having excessively white teeth can become an unattractive feature, seen as artificial by others..

In teeth whitening, the specialist has to increase the porosity of the teeth so that certain substances can penetrate inside them. He also has to protect the gums, as some of the products used, such as carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxideSome of the products used, such as carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide, can be toxic at certain doses and damage them. It is normal to apply a tooth whitening treatment every five or six years.

Other techniques such as laser or cold light whitening are used in dental clinics to activate the substances applied to the teeth. In some cases, instead of applying tooth whitening products, it is recommended to opt for the use of aesthetic veneers.

Tips to avoid whitorexia

Dentists have a series of tips and recommendations to avoid developing an obsession with white teeth. While everyone wants their smile to look as white as possible, becoming obsessed with applying treatments that prioritize esthetics over health is always a great risk to the integrity of the teeth.

One must be realistic and understand that the extremely white teeth that we see in the media, in the smiles of actors, models and influencers, are not real.. Most likely they have undergone expensive teeth whitening surgery or have had their smile retouched by photo retouching programs.

It is advisable to follow and respect the time lapses between treatments. Although tooth whiteners can be found in pharmacies and are applied by qualified dentists, one should be aware that medically tested products are not harmless to health. Repeated application of whitening products in short periods of time can damage the teeth due to the aggressive nature of the substances they contain.

In general, home-made solutions are generally not a good option.. They can be dangerous and counterproductive. The most famous at-home whitening solution is baking soda, but it should be noted that it is an abrasive product and can damage enamel and gums. It is not worth applying something that instead of whitening the tooth, it could cause us to lose it. And very important: be wary of miracle products, those that promise the impossible and the only thing that is certain about them is that they are not safe at all.

The most advisable thing is that if you want to enjoy a whiter smile, it is essential to visit a dentist specialized in oral esthetics.. Teeth whitening treatments offered by dentists are effective and safe as long as they are applied according to the indications. The dentist, first of all, will make sure that we do not have any dental health problems such as cavities, periodontitis or gingivitis, making sure that medical conditions are treated first and then aesthetic treatments are applied.