Tips to Reduce Sensitivity With Teeth Whitening Trays

Teeth whitening treatments often involve using teeth whitening trays to immerse your teeth in the bleaching products being used. These products are left on teeth for about an hour and remove stains from the inner and outer layers of teeth.

Teeth whitening treatments are one of the more popular cosmetic treatments performed by dentists, and in-office treatments tend to produce the best results. A single professional whitening session is enough to get most people's teeth to their desired shade of white.

However, at-home whitening kits are sometimes the best solution for people with sensitive teeth because these come with less concentrated bleaching agents. These kits do not provide instant results like professionally done whitening, but they will lead to similar results in about three weeks of daily use.

The main side effect associated with teeth whitening treatments is increased sensitivity. For most people, that goes away within a few days, but it can linger if the patient has sensitive teeth.

Why teeth whitening leads to increased teeth sensitivity

Teeth are covered with a clear, durable outer layer called enamel. It is the strongest material in the body and protects the inner layers of teeth called the dentin from trauma, acids created by oral bacteria and extreme temperatures.

Teeth enamel cannot be replaced once it has been damaged, which leads to some people having permanent indentations in one or more teeth due to damaged enamel. Enamel being lost or damaged means there is less of a barrier to protect the more sensitive dentin. This leads to increased sensitivity. Generally speaking, the stronger and thicker a person's enamel is, the less likely they are to experience teeth sensitivity after teeth whitening treatments.

Reducing sensitivity when using whitening trays

Here are simple things that patients can do to reduce teeth sensitivity after whitening their teeth:

Brush before the treatment, not after. Brushing before leads to improved whitening, while brushing after can damage enamel that has already been weakened by the treatment. Rinsing the mouth with water is enough to clean it after teeth whitening.

Use desensitizing gels that contain fluoride and potassium half an hour before whitening teeth. Research shows that this reduces sensitivity. Dentists sometimes mix these chemicals with whitening products for the same reason.

Use whitening products that contain less concentrated bleaching agents. Dentists often recommend at-home whitening kits for patients with sensitive teeth because these are less concentrated than the whitening agents found in in-office whitening products.

Avoid consuming highly acidic beverages like orange juice. This can lead to further damage to already weakened enamel.

Avoid going to bed while wearing a mouth tray. Bleaching teeth for more than three hours can lead to enamel being damaged. Over-the-counter painkillers can help reduce any discomfort caused by sensitive teeth.

We can help whiten sensitive teeth

Call or visit our Tavares clinic to learn more about how to reduce sensitivity after teeth whitening treatments.

Request an appointment here: https://lifetimedental.us or call LifeTime Dental at (352) 414-2061 for an appointment in our Tavares office.

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