Some members of the dental community aired their disappointment over an endorsement post of actress-socialite Heart Evangelista which featured a teeth-whitening pen.
Heart, a fashion and luxury influencer, posted about the product on her Instagram account where she was seen holding the pen with its cap off while a cup of coffee was placed across her.
Another picture featured her holding the product up close.
“I always bring this teeth whitening pen with me from @perfectsmileofficialph so I can remove coffee stains after drinking coffee,” Heart captioned her post.
“Love this forever! Plus it is affordable for only P249. Available in @watsonsph stores nationwide,” she added.
Heart also included a link to her post where the public can buy the product online.
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Heart’s post has since earned over 40,000 likes and several comments, with some coming from those in the dental community.
“Crown? Seriously?” dentist Katherine Martinez wrote.
When another Instagram user responded that Heart is “wearing crown teeth,” Martinez answered with “ikr” It is short for “I know right.”
“Um… but you CAN’T whiten crowns that way. Ayayayay, Heart,” Apple, a dental hygienist, commented with facepalm emojis.
“Please stop doing ads for whitening. [YOU] CAN’T WHITEN CROWNS LIKE THAT!!” dentist Javier Thomas wrote.
Heart’s post also caught the attention of dental hygienist Vahan Jerry Ounjian, who vlogs under the account “Dentistry Humor.”
“These are crowns,” he said in a separate Instagram post where he featured one of the actress’ pictures.
“You can’t white crowns with a whitening pen. Also, you don’t whiten your teeth right after you drink coffee to remove stains. Your teeth don’t stain that fast after you have something dark. It doesn’t work that way. It takes time to stain your teeth and then you whiten your teeth to remove it,” Ounjian added.
The dental hygienist’s post was also captioned: “Don’t. Fall. For. Scams.”
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What is a crown?
A crown, or a dental crown, refers to a cap for a damaged tooth. It can be made from a variety of materials like metal, ceramic, or porcelain.
Those with large cavities too big for a filling are suggested to have one.
It is also suggested for those with severely worn down, cracked, or weakened teeth.
“Crowns are also recommended following a root canal on a tooth, because the tooth is more fragile and needs protection,” Healthline said.
Product’s claims
The teeth whitening pen can be bought from a health and beauty care chain store. It originated in South Korea.
The product claims to provide “professional whitening results for natural teeth.”
“This is good to use for targeted areas of your teeth that [need] correction or you wanted to whiten,” part of the product details read online.
The device also claimed that it can help whiten teeth stains and protect enamel, with users seeing “noticeable results in seven days or few weeks.”
However, the product cautioned the public that it “will not whiten caps, crowns, veneers, fillings or dentures.” Those with dental braces cannot use it as well.
