Can Teeth Whitening Damage My Teeth

Aug 15, 2022

Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental process helping remove stains for a whiter and brighter smile. The treatment has become increasingly popular and is best performed by dental professionals in their practice. You can also purchase a variety of home whitening kits. Unfortunately, store-bought whitening kits can damage your teeth.

Hydrogen peroxide is the whitening ingredient used during a teeth whitening treatment with the potential to damage your teeth. Incorrect use of whitening products results in tooth damage besides overusing the products or getting teeth whitening procedures repeatedly. Bleaching results in tooth sensitivity that is frequently temporary but can become permanent.

Is Teeth Whitening Safe for My Enamel?

The tooth enamel is the hardest part of your body, even harder than your bones. The enamel is responsible for protecting the soft dentin beneath. The enamel is prone to breaking down as it is the primary defence against substances. Acidic substances, besides exposure to sugar and starches, also threaten your enamel.

The tooth enamel protects against daily wear and tear from chewing, biting, crunching, and grinding. Although it is the toughest tissue, it is not invincible. The enamel has no living cells and cannot regenerate if it sustains damage. Therefore to avoid damage to your enamel, you must receive teeth whitening treatments from a dental office instead of considering alternative therapies.

Does Tooth Whitening Hurt?

Tooth whitening is a safe and effective therapy that doesn’t cause pain when delivered by a dental professional. Dentists are trained on the proper use of hydrogen peroxide and will not exceed the dosage of the concentration recommended. In addition, the professionals ensure the soft tissues of your mouth, including the gums, are protected to prevent contact with the hydrogen peroxide.

When you purchase over-the-counter home whitening kits, you get generic products not customized for your mouth. Although the products contain a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide, you might damage your teeth from overusing the product, or the trays might leak the whitening ingredients to cause sensitivity to your gums and cheeks. On the other hand, the dentist-provided teeth whitening treatments are painless and will allow you to have brighter teeth from one appointment with the dental clinic.

How to Ensure You Receive Proper Teeth Whitening from Dentists?

When you visit the family dentistry, Brantford requesting teeth whitening therapy, the professionals will examine your teeth to determine whether you have tooth decay or gum disease. If any conditions affect you, they ask that you receive treatments for them before whitening your teeth.

After the initial examination, you receive dental cleaning for plaque and tartar removal to determine the kind of staining affecting your teeth. When you think of teeth whitening treatments, you consider lightening the enamel of your teeth. However, the therapy functions differently because it aims to lighten the colour of the dental pulp. As a result, the dentin has a darker shade than the enamel and is the primary reason for the discoloration of your teeth.

Hydrogen peroxide whitens your teeth by passing through the enamel to the pulp. The pulp houses the blood vessels, connective tissue and nerves and the bleaching ingredients can cause tooth sensitivity. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide destroys collagen proteins in the dentin, confirms the latest research. However, no information is available on whether the destruction is reversible or not or results in permanent dental conditions later.

You receive an application of hydrogen peroxide gel more concentrated than store-bought whitening kits over your teeth four times during the hour after every 15 minutes. Heat and light accompany the application to accelerate the process. At the end of one hour, the dentist requests you rinse your mouth and receive a fluoride treatment to prevent sensitivity.

The treatment ensures the colour of your teeth changes by 3 to 8 shades out of 16 in one ninety-minute appointment. Teeth whitening treatments are excellent for removing extrinsic and intrinsic stains on your teeth and are best used sparingly by caring for your teeth to ensure they don’t develop stains.

Preventing surface stains on your teeth is possible by limiting or avoiding coloured foods and beverages besides smoking or chewing tobacco. Intrinsic stains can develop from infections, injuries, et cetera. However, there are treatments available to make your teeth look brighter and whiter from dental professionals ensuring you achieve your desired goal without damaging your teeth. Dentists recommend you whiten your teeth in stages and wait for the recommended time before requesting another whitening session.

If you are looking for a trustworthy teeth whitening clinic in Brantford, Monarch Dentistry can whiten your teeth to give you the brighter smile you desire. Kindly schedule your appointment with them today to receive the treatment.