Causes of Teeth Whitening Sensitivity and How You Can Improve It

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Is your current whitening method hurting you? Are you looking for a way to relieve the pain or an alternative, more comfortable whitening procedure? Here is what you need to know about teeth whitening sensitivity and what you can do to alleviate it.

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One of the best ways to feel good about ourselves is to feel confident about our appearance. Having a bright, white, and healthy smile is one of the most effective ways of boosting your appearance. Over time, your teeth may lose some of their whiteness due to some of the following factors:

• Consumption of certain food & drinks
• Use of tobacco
• Dental conditions
• Age & genetics
• Poor dental hygiene

To counter these, many people turn to teeth whitening products. Unfortunately, many of these products are known to cause sensitivity to their users. If you happen to be one of those people, don’t worry; here is how you can mitigate some sensitivity caused by teeth whitening.
 

Get the Bright, White Smile You Are After In As Little As One Treatment

At Marlborough Dental Centre, we use a state of the art whitening method known as Britesmile, which will provide fantastic results in as little as one safe appointment. Additionally, we offer other dental services such as cosmetic dentistry, teeth cleaning, and veneers to help you look and feel your best.

To schedule your tooth whitening consultation or dental checkup, contact our office by calling 403-248-2066 today!
 

What Causes Teeth Whitening Sensitivity?

At some point in your life, you have likely experienced some form of tooth sensitivity whether it be from drinking a hot cup of coffee, slurping on an icy beverage, or the cold wind hitting your teeth. These are all forms of hot/cold sensitivity, which is the most common kind and is usually nothing to worry about, except for in severe cases.

Teeth whitening sensitivity is a little different, as it is most likely caused by one ingredient in most tooth whitening products, hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen Peroxide is the most common tooth whitening agent on the market. While it can provide some excellent results in the form of bright pearly whites, it is also known to cause some sensitivity during the whitening treatment. Most pain tends to die down a little while after. However, if the pain continues for many hours post-whitening, you should contact your dentist immediately.

Before you think about giving up on teeth whitening due to the discomfort it causes, you should check out some methods of managing your sensitivity so you can whiten your teeth more comfortably.
 

How Can I Manage My Sensitivity?

1. Avoid exposing your teeth to extreme temperatures soon after your whitening treatment. Give your teeth some time to rest from the hydrogen peroxide treatment before drinking any hot or cold liquids, experiencing cold weather, or doing anything that may prompt their sensitivity.
2. Look into using a product with a lower level of hydrogen peroxide. While it may not provide as strong of a whitening agent as others, lowering the peroxide level could lessen the discomfort you experience.
3. Avoid overusing whitening products. When products containing peroxides are overused, they can cause severe permanent damage to your teeth, which can cause even greater sensitivity in the future. Be sure to use products as directed and without overuse.
4. Make sure your daily oral health routine takes your sensitivity into account. Brush twice daily with a sensitive toothpaste, use fluoride rinses, and be sure to floss at least once a day. Additionally, visit your dentist at least every 6 months as it could be an oral health condition that is causing your sensitivity.
5. Over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen can help mitigate the sensitivity pain when it does occur.
6. Talk to your dentist about in-clinic whitening treatments. Many clinics, including our NE Calgary Dental Clinic, offer safe, effective, and less painful whitening treatments than those provided by over the counter, at-home methods.
    

Teeth Whitening Options

One possibility of reducing your pain felt by tooth whitening is to try and change up your whitening method. It could be something as simple as how you whiten your teeth, not the actual tooth whitening, that is causing you pain. Here are some of the most common tooth whitening methods, each with its own levels of hydrogen peroxide and history of success.

• Over the counter products to use in your daily oral health routine, such as whitening toothpaste and mouthwashes, sticky whitening strips, paint-on whitening agents, and whitening chewing gum.
• Dental prescribed kits of tray-based teeth whiteners. These kits come with a tray for your mouth that is filled with a gel-like whitening solution.
• Our in-office whitening technique (Britesmile Teeth Whitening) which uses a combination of hydrogen peroxide and specially designed lighting that accelerates the process of teeth whitening.
   

Related Reading:

5 Reasons Why You Should Get Your Teeth Whitened by a Dental Professional

4 Factors That Could Affect the Results of Your Teeth Whitening Treatment
 

You Don’t Need To Take the Pain Anymore, Contact Us For Professional Teeth Whitening

If you are finding that the discomfort caused by your at-home teeth whitening is becoming unbearable, you can still keep your bright smile with less pain. Our professional laser teeth whitening service and cosmetic dentistry services are available to help you craft the bright, beautiful smile of your dreams. To learn more about these dental treatments, contact us today by calling 403-248-2066 or fill in our online contact form.

 

FAQ’s

Are there any natural whitening techniques?

Yes, there do exist some natural techniques of teeth whitening. However, these are not often recommended. Some fruits, foods, and substances have shown some promise in whitening teeth, but they have not been researched enough to know whether they are safe or practical methods.

Can you permanently whiten teeth?

Unfortunately not. Although teeth whitening procedures can produce some exceptional results, they are not guaranteed to last without proper care and maintenance.

How long do professional teeth whitening appointments take?

Most patients are able to whiten their teeth by multiple shades after only one appointment of around 60-90 minutes.