People With Sensitive Teeth Can Schedule Teeth Whitening in Delaware

We provide teeth whitening in Delaware for patients that want to improve their overall appearance.  Bright, white teeth are a sign of good health and youth.  As such, this simple procedure can take years off of a person's appearance.  We always recommend that patients considering more invasive options for improving their appearance, whiten their teeth first to see how dramatic the results are.  Often, patients find that they don't need to do anything else. 

We also recommend this procedure before performing any cosmetic work like getting dental veneers placed.  Since the veneer or crown is matched in shade to the teeth around it, having white teeth becomes incredibly important.  Still, many of our patients are concerned that their teeth will feel sensitive if they are whitened.  In order to address this concern, it is important to understand the risks and why teeth are sensitive in the first place.

• Erosion.  If the enamel on the outside of the tooth starts to wear away or erode, the dentin underneath will be exposed.  Dentin is a porous material that contains nerve endings so if anything touches it, you might just cringe.  If a bleaching agent is put on teeth that are missing enamel, they may feel extremely sensitive.  While we offer teeth whitening in Delaware, it is important that we provide you with the right solution so if your teeth are missing enamel we may suggest wearing dental crowns instead, since they protect the teeth while helping them to look better. 
• Infections.  When patients have their enamel, but their teeth are sensitive, it is often due to cavities or infections.  For this reason, we always recommend having a whitening procedure completed at the dentist office.  We will make sure that you don’t have any infections prior to whitening your teeth, and if you do, we will treat them so that your mouth can become healthy again.  This eliminates the risk that many people have when whitening teeth at home – putting bleach into a cavity.  Once your health issues have been resolved, you can comfortably whiten your teeth. 
• The procedure. The third reason for tooth sensitivity when whitening teeth is how the procedure is completed in the first place.  When handled correctly, as done in our office, your teeth will feel fine after the procedure.  If, however, you whiten them too frequently, or the solution leaks out and gets onto your gums, your teeth and gums may feel uncomfortable and sensitive.  We eliminate this risk in our office. 

The American Dental Association gave additional suggestions in their 2009 report entitled, “Tooth Whitening/Bleaching: Treatment Considerations for Dentists and Their Patients”.  They suggested that those concerned about sensitivity, use a toothpaste containing potassium nitrate for a week leading up to the treatment and immediately following it.  Additionally, they suggested that potassium nitrate be placed into the whitening trays to be worn for ten to thirty minutes prior to starting the whitening process.  These are relatively simple solutions that help to manage the risk of tooth sensitivity.  While providing teeth whitening in Delaware, we are cognizant of the fact that some of our patients suffer from sensitive teeth and will ensure that any treatment received will be comfortable.