Teeth Whitening Options and Their Safety

If you are considering bleaching your teeth, take it from us that it’s an extremely safe procedure. However, like with any chemical use on the body, whitening procedures also come with their side effects.

Most people who use whitening products suffer few side effects snd some don’t get affected at all. However, there are general side effects associated with tooth whitening options. They include:

Tooth Sensitivity

After a whitening procedure at Wang and Cotes Dental, you may experience some tooth sensitivity. Sometimes the sensitivity may be felt during the process. The temporary tooth sensitivity is due to exposure of the dentine to external agents.
The dentine is the layer underlying the tooth enamel. Although the tooth enamel is considered the hardest body tissue, it’s usually porous, with tubules only visible under high magnification. When your teeth are stained, it’s the dentine that absorbs the stain and not the enamel. Likewise, bleaching agents target the dentine to bleach your teeth.

When the whitening gel seeps through the enamel’s tubules, it leaves them open and exposes the dentine to external elements through a process called dehydration. During this period, it’s advisable not to eat colored food or drinks. You should also avoid extremely hot and cold foods, as well as sugary and salty substances. These irritate the nerve tissue.

Soft Tissue Irritation

Some specialists call it a chemical burn, and it occurs when the whitening solution comes into contact with the gum tissue during the whitening procedure. Your gums appear white when the whitening gel is exposed to them. This is especially if they are exposed to the whitening solution used in professional in-office teeth bleaching.

Note that a chemical burn is usually not severe, and the gum tissue will be back to normal in a short while. Many patients are alarmed when they notice a color change on their gums, but this is usually not a significant issue of concern. The high hydrogen peroxide concentration in the belching solution is usually the main reason for this.

If your gums are exposed to the whitening solution or gels for a prolonged time, it can result in inflammation and redness of the affected area.

In extreme cases, the patient can experience bleeding and pain in the gum tissue area.

Unwanted Results

The results achieved after a whitening treatment may not be what you expected. If your teeth are heavily stained internally, you might notice a change in your teeth’ initial shade after treatment.

If your teeth are used to the whitening gel, they may turn grey after some time. For some people, their teeth get translucent. This is as opposed to the usual white shade most people desire after tooth whitening.

A warning about whitening dental veneers and Crowns

You might be thinking about whitening your porcelain veneers or dental crowns, but here is a warning; whitening procedures won’t work on these prostheses.

Note that there are two types of teeth whiteners, abrasive and chemical whiteners. Abrasive whiteners use a gentle abrasive baking soda that rubs away plaque and removes stains from the teeth surfaces.

Chemical whiteners use hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide to simulate a chemical reaction that contacts the stains on your teeth enamel breaking their bonds with teeth. Eventually, the stains are bleached off.

However, crowns, implants, veneers, and fillings are not made of tooth enamel. They are basically made of porcelain, which is non-porous, and is made to match your original teeth’ shade. The material, therefore, doesn’t respond to any bleaching agent.

However, the good news is that porcelain being non-porous will never get stained, so your porcelain veneers or dental crowns won’t need to be whitened in the first place.

Is an Old Dental Work Replaceable?

If you have a dental workpiece like a crown or veneer that looks noticeably darker than other teeth, it can be removed and replaced with a better version.

This, however, depends on your oral health, the tooth’s location, and other factors. Seek pediatric dentistry services if your child is uncomfortable with discolored dental works due to cosmetic treatments such as teeth whitening.