AN UNEXPECTED CAUSE FOR TINGLING TEETH

HOME WHITENING KITS MAY BE CAUSING YOUR TEETH TO TINGLE

It’s true! Home bleaching kits can soften or weaken the enamel of the tooth making your teeth likely to be more sensitive after a whitening treatment. This may be a feeling that lasts for a day or two or could be more serious if the enamel was damaged to the point that you have exposed dentin. Acidic foods are also more likely to cause pain with teeth that have been whitened.

HOME KITS HAVE PEROXIDE

Though there have been on definitive studies to state just what causes heightened sensitivity after whitening, it is believed that the ingredient peroxide may be to blame. Peroxide has been found to aggravate the tooth nerve when it penetrates the tooth making them more sensitive to things like heat, cold, and acidic foods. If you have sensitive teeth before you get them whitened, you are more likely to experience sensitivity following whitening.

YOU MAY BE USING THEM TOO OFTEN

At home kits are more likely to cause sensitivity for the simple fact that people use them more often than they would if they were getting dental treatments. You are not going to do three dental treatments in a week but easy access to at home whitening strips may tempt you to do more than you are advised to do. Also, at the dentist your team is going to be able to tell you how to deal with the sensitivity and can even help to dull the pain immediately following treatment.

HOW TO AVOID TINGLING TEETH

There are a few different ways you can avoid tingling teeth as a result of teeth whitening. The first is to go to a dentist for you whitening rather than trying to do it at home. Though white strips and other at home methods have not been proven to be dangerous, having your teeth whitened at the dentist is going to be more effective and faster which means you are going to need less treatments. Less treatments means your teeth are going to be less painful and have less side effects.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE DENTIST

Whitening at the dentist starts with the application of a medium like a gel with bleach or another whitening agent in it. The gel is applied to the teeth or to a tray that is placed on the teeth then is activated with an ultra violet light that helps to whiten the teeth and penetrate the enamel. This process is safest when it is done in the dentist office so that issues can be mitigated as they arise rather than addressed after the fact and after you get home.

Whitening teeth at the dentist is going to be far more beneficial than trying to achieve the level of whiteness you want at home. Though whitening at home is not dangerous per se if you follow the directions and only whiten according to the schedule on the box, it is often not as effective as whitening at the dentist. Beause of this, people using them more than recommended which can then lead to tooth damage.

White teeth are something that everyone wants and strives to have. That being said, whitening your teeth at home can be dangerous and may result in side effects like tingling teeth. With the help of a dental professional however you can have whiter teeth that look and feel great.

If you are thinking of having your teeth whitened you should find a reliable dental professional to do it. The helpful and knowledgeable staff at Biltmore Commons Dental Care can help you get the white smile you have always been dreaming of and can help you do it safely.