Can You Whiten Your Teeth If They Are Sensitive?
White teeth improve your smile and your appearance. There are several teeth whitening methods, including teeth whitening products. However, teeth whitening products contain bleaching agents that increase teeth sensitivity and cause discomfort.
Fortunately, this article discusses how to care for your sensitive teeth and how you can whiten them. Kindly follow through.
What Is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure that brightens your teeth’ shade. Usually, bleaching gels contain peroxide. The peroxide can lift deep stains in the teeth to improve their shade.
How Do Teeth Become Sensitive?
People with sensitive teeth experience pain, especially when they eat hot or cold foods. Furthermore, sensitive teeth can make brushing, eating, and drinking uncomfortable. Worn-down tooth enamel or exposed tooth roots are the primary cause of teeth sensitivity.
Other causes of tooth sensitivity include brushing too hard, using hard toothbrushes, and grinding your teeth at night. Also, regularly eating and drinking acidic foods and beverages can contribute to tooth sensitivity. In addition, gum recession exposes some parts of the teeth, increasing sensitivity.
Sometimes, cavities, cracked teeth, gum disease, and worn dental fillings can also cause the same teeth discomfort. Therefore, it is best to visit a dentist for diagnosis to ensure you have sensitive teeth.
How To Care for Sensitive Teeth
Worn down tooth enamel causes sensitivity. Therefore, it is necessary to care for your teeth to prevent further wear down. The following tips can help with caring for your sensitive teeth:
- Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, brush your teeth twice a day in gentle strokes
- Avoid abrasive toothpaste. Instead, use fluoride toothpaste
- Floss daily
- If you grind your teeth, especially at night, use a mouthguard
- Limit intake of acidic foods and drinks, including carbonated drinks, citrus, fruits, and wine
- Use straws when taking acidic drinks to limit contact with your teeth
- Drink water after eating or drinking something acidic to balance acid levels
Whitening Sensitive Teeth
Before whitening your teeth, it is advisable to consult a dentist near you to know the best products for you. You can either whiten your teeth in a dental office or at home.
Professional teeth whitening for sensitive teeth is done under controlled conditions by dentists. During the process, the dentist ensures the teeth are safe. Also, dentists may use desensitizers when whitening your teeth to reduce sensitivity.
During the whitening procedure, the dentist will apply a resin on your gums to prevent irritation from the bleaching agent. Professional teeth whitening for sensitive teeth takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
On the other hand, the dentist near you prescribed professional whitening kits, which are suitable for use at home. If you qualify for a whitening kit, a dentist will take impressions of your teeth, send them to the dental lab, and make teeth whitening trays.
After receiving the trays and bleaching gel, you will need to wear them for an hour daily for two weeks to see maximum results.
Precautions to take when whitening your teeth at home include:
- Brushing before applying the whitening products. Frequently bleaching your teeth can increase their porosity. Therefore, it is best to brush your teeth with a soft-bristled brush before bleaching rather than after bleaching.
- We are following all instructions.
- Avoiding overuse
- Use desensitizing gels, especially on areas of your mouth that are particularly sensitive.
- Rinsing your mouth after bleaching
Risks Involved with Teeth Whitening
Although teeth whitening improves your appearance, there are still certain risks involved. The risks involved with teeth whitening include increased teeth sensitivity and irritated gums because of contact of whitening products with the gums.
Conclusion
Although teeth whitening can improve your teeth shade, you are at risk of increasing your teeth sensitivity. It is best to get professional teeth whitening if you have sensitive teeth because it is safer and has lower risks.