Teeth whitening is a simple procedure you can consider when you want to enhance the appearance of your smile and improve your self-confidence. You can whiten your teeth at home or a dental office. Although teeth whitening offers reliable results, you may be forced to endure teeth sensitivity after the procedure. This a wave of pain that's experienced when teeth are exposed to cold water or air or sweet foods. Fortunately, the sensitivity doesn't last long.
What causes sensitivity?
Teeth sensitivity occurs when your teeth's dentin layer is exposed after the whitening procedure. The bleaching agent penetrates the enamel to get to the dentin (the part that gets stained) to eliminate the stains. Due to this, you might feel some sensitivity on your teeth because nerve endings found on the surface of your teeth are exposed. This might continue even after the procedure, and you will find it difficult to eat or drink anything. Some patients also experience sensitivity a day or two after the treatment.
Your saliva is designed to help close the nerve ending openings to reduce or eliminate the sensitivity, but sometimes it might take a while. Fortunately, there are some tips you can consider to deal with this problem.
Brush before whitening
When you are cleaning your teeth, the brush's abrasive touch can easily disrupt the nerve ending openings. And since the teeth whitening process weakens the nerve pores, brushing after the procedure will definitely cause teeth sensitivity or make it worse. Therefore, be sure to clean your teeth before whitening them. This way, you'll only need to rinse your mouth after removing the bleaching products.
Avoid taking cold/sweet foods or drinks
Consuming cold foods and beverages might not be a challenge before a teeth whitening procedure, but things will change afterwards. The teeth temperature sensitivity will be heightened, making it impossible for you to drink cold drinks.
Use a desensitising gel
If you experienced teeth sensitivity after your first teeth whitening procedure, consider talking to your dentist about it right away. The experts have desensitising gels or products you can apply on your teeth before the next bleaching treatment. Be sure to follow the directions indicated on the product to get the teeth sensitivity relief you require.
Give your teeth a break
Depending on your teeth condition, you might need to undergo several whitening treatments before acquiring the desired results. Consider lengthening the application time to give your teeth time to heal. Visit a dentist to learn more about teeth whitening.
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