Can People With Sensitive Teeth Get a Teeth Whitening Procedure?

If you have sensitive teeth, we can still perform a teeth whitening procedure so that your teeth can look healthier, and you will have the benefit of a more youthful smile. Understandably, those with sensitive teeth are often concerned that this or any dental procedure may cause issues. This inspired the American Dental Association to research the issue and publish their findings in a paper entitled “Tooth Whitening/Bleaching: Treatment Considerations for Dentists and Their Patients”. In their report, they recommended that patients with sensitive teeth have the dentist place potassium nitrate into a teeth whitening tray and place it onto their teeth for thirty minutes prior to the treatment. They also suggested that patients brush with a toothpaste containing potassium nitrate for several weeks prior to whitening teeth and afterwards as needed. These are two simple solutions that can prevent sensitivity or irritation in patients concerned about how their teeth may feel.
In our office, we find that most patients have no issues with sensitivity after a professional whitening procedure and there are several reasons why –

• A dental exam. When you have your teeth examined prior to whitening them, we can ensure that you don’t have any cavities or gum disease that could be further irritated by the whitening solution. By treating those issues first, you won’t experience any unnecessary sensitivity. Simultaneously, if you whiten your teeth using an over the counter product, this becomes a clear risk since there is no way to self-diagnose oral health problems.
• The perfect fit.  When you schedule a teeth whitening with our dental office, the trays that we use will be the perfect fit for your teeth which will prevent the solution from leaking onto your gums.  Gum tissue is incredibly sensitive so if any type of bleaching agent comes in contact with it – your gums will naturally become irritated and sensitive.  This is a common problem with over the counter products because the whitening trays are a one-size-fits-all and, therefore, don’t fit anyone perfectly. 
• Overuse isn’t an issue.  Many people that whiten their teeth at home will do so too frequently.  Overuse is a common problem with over the counter products because the solution isn’t as strong, and the results are not as dramatic as most people would prefer.  This creates the desire for an additional treatment, which in turn, creates irritation.  You must be careful with how frequently you whiten your teeth.  In our dental office, the solution is stronger and the results more dramatic so there is no need for overuse. 

A teeth whitening treatment when completed under the supervision of a dentist is perfectly safe for those with sensitive teeth.  The important thing to note is that the majority of risk factors come from using over the counter solutions and can be prevented by visiting the dentist instead.  In our dental office, we can also discuss other cosmetic solutions for improving your smile so that whether you want to remove stains or close a gap in between your teeth – we can help.

Ways a Cosmetic Dentist Can Improve Your Smile

The cosmetic dentist office is one of the few places where medicine and art come together seamlessly. As such we have learned that there are many stages to developing and cultivating the perfect smile and that how quickly a person wants to achieve that goal is truly up to them. When you come to visit our office, we will take the time to understand your goals, build a plan, and go through all of the incremental steps that are necessary to ultimately have the perfect smile you are seeking. It is important to note that not all the work we do is majorly reconstructive though we do offer this as necessary. The majority of work we do is small incremental steps that work together to ultimately give you the confidence and radiance of a great smile.

Being a cosmetic dentist, in many cases, is a battle of inches. A perfect smile depends on the teeth being positioned perfectly, the shading of the teeth being at their whitest, and the patient having the smile that they are most comfortable with. While it is easy to assume that it takes a great deal of money to get to that point, it is safe to say that as a cosmetic dentist there are many incremental steps that a person can take to gradually improve their appearance. This may clash with your wish list of goals but at the same time can give you everything you want over a period of time. Some of the incremental procedures that we perform every day at the clinic are.

Teeth reshaping and contouring. Sometimes teeth grow into a weird shape, which causes them to overlap other teeth or simply leave a gap that is unsightly. At other times, a tooth may grow too long or not long enough for the space it was designed to fill. In cases like this we can change the shape and length of the tooth itself so that it fits better with the rest of your mouth. Often when a person has a chipped or broken tooth, we can perform tooth reshaping in conjunction with bonding to make sure the tooth is strong and looks great. Typically you would need healthy teeth to be a candidate for teeth reshaping with any cosmetic dentist, and we will take x-rays to ensure that your teeth will do well with the changes.

Bonding uses a tooth-colored material that starts soft and can be shaped  to correct minor defects before being hardened with a dental light. These can include chips that have been caused by accidents, small cracks, and even minor spacing defects that leave you with an unsightly smile. Bonding is also used to correct cavities. More detailed work with bonding can involve the entire tooth being covered so that the general shape is changed to be more appealing. Generally speaking bonding can be completed in a single office visit, depending on the severity of the problem we are attempting to fix. Bonding is a quick, and often inexpensive way to correct some of the problems that may be causing you to have a less than perfect smile.

As a cosmetic dentist, other procedures that we use are dental veneers, dental crowns, dental bridges and dental implants - all of which can help to create a gorgeous smile.