Even if you want a brighter smile, you may fear that teeth whitening would make your smile sensitive. Some people talk about how the treatment leaves a subtle soreness behind once it’s done. Well, you have no reason to worry; it’s possible to keep teeth whitening sensitivity-free. All you’d need to do is follow some tips and tricks from your local Metairie dentist. To learn about them fully, just read over the helpful summary below.
Whitening Makes Teeth Sensitive?
While teeth whitening is typically safe, it can cause some side effects in rare cases. One such effect is temporary tooth sensitivity.
This issue stems from the ingredients used in whitening agents. Modern whitening gel uses hydrogen peroxide, which can sometimes expose your dentin as it makes your enamel porous. That exposure can make some of your teeth sore for a while after treatment.
All that said, any felt sensitivity is normally mild and brief. It should fade within a few days and won’t be intense.
How Can You Avoid Post-Whitening Sensitivity?
You can avoid post-whitening sensitivity by taking three crucial steps. These are:
Avoid Hot & Cold Foods
Once your treatment is over, stick to room-temperature meals and beverages for a few days. Avoiding very hot and cold foods will ensure you face less (or even no) pain.
Hydrogen peroxide can react poorly to extreme temperatures. Enamel covered with this substance can thus ache when hot or cold objects touch it. All that said, you can manage this situation by having room-temperature foods and drinks; these items shouldn’t irritate your teeth.
Brush with Numbing Toothpaste
You could also try to clean your treated smile with a numbing toothpaste. That way, you could ease any aches in your grin.
So-called numbing or “desensitizing” toothpaste can prevent toothaches and tooth sensitivity. After all, its ingredients block pain signals to the brain or seal your smile’s dentin, which is the layer underneath your enamel. Either effect will ensure your smile is protected from pain and discomfort.
Get “Pro” Whitening
Your best option would likely be to get professional tooth whitening from a dentist. Unlike store-bought alternatives that have a high sensitivity risk, it’d help you avoid post-treatment pain.
A dentist’s teeth whitening process is always tailored to your unique smile. As such, they can adjust the amount of bleaching gel used to provide ache-free results. “Pro” in-office whitening also uses special trays that make gel-related irritation much less likely.
If you have more questions on these matters, consult your dental provider. They’ll offer more details on how you can keep teeth whitening sensitivity-free!
About the Practice
Nelson Dental Care is based in Metairie, LA. Led by namesake Dr. James Nelson, our practice takes effective, comfortable, and personalized dentistry quite seriously. We thus offer a comprehensive range of dental services, with results always tailored to your smile’s unique needs. Those offerings naturally include sensitivity-free teeth whitening as well! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (504)-887-3311.