What To Know About Teeth Whitening Treatments And Sensitivity
Posted on: 1 July 2019
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Are you unhappy with the current color of your teeth? It may have lead you to look into dental whitening as a potential solution to your problem. However, whitening procedures do come with their own risks that you need to be made aware of. You may end up with whiter teeth, but you can also experience more sensitivity as a result. Here is what you need to know about teeth whitening treatments and sensitivity issues.
What Is Teeth Sensitivity?
Tooth sensitivity is also referred to as thermal sensitivity, which happens when you have hypersensitive dentin that causes your teeth to experience aches and pains. Dentin can become exposed for many reasons, which include decay, abrasion, or chemicals from the teeth whitening procedure. The special whitening gel that it used by the dentist will activate and release the staining chemicals designed to go into the enamel of your teeth. The chemicals release a stain that goes into those small tooth crevices, which exposes the dentin.
Some people start to experience sensitivity after consuming a food or beverage that is really cold or hot, that ends up touching the dentin. This painful feeling can then radiate through your teeth as a result, which is due to the dentin not typically being exposed to those temperatures. Your teeth will eventually adjust to the sensation and the sensitivity will stop.
Can You Reduce Sensitivity?
There are some steps that can be taken to reduce sensitivity after a teeth whitening procedure, so be sure to ask your dentist about what can be done if you typically have sensitive teeth. A dentist may suggest using fluoride to treat the teeth after the teeth whitening procedure is over, which cause help your enamel become stronger so you do not have as much exposed dentin. You may be recommended a toothpaste designed to help with sensitive teeth, which can desensitize those teeth that would normally react to extreme temperatures.
Another option is to use a whitening solution that isn't as strong. You may not get the results that you want from the whitening procedure, but your teeth will feel less sensitive afterwards. You can follow up with an additional whitening procedure later on after your teeth have recovered and are less sensitive. The dentist can also apply a varnish to the teeth to give it a protective barrier.
Speak to your dentist for more information about dealing with sensitivity after a teeth whitening feature