Am I suitable for teeth whitening if I have sensitive teeth?

Doctor's Answers 3

Thank you for your inquiry. This is a common question that is asked by a lot patients.

Dr. Huang has answered well, and I would like to add my thoughts.

As a direct-president of the aesthetic dentistry of the Society of Singapore, I have been exposed to a long list of ways to aesthetically whiten teeth.

In my opinion, once the teeth are sensitive, a tooth whitening procedure will be best suited for you, because everyone's teeth are unique.

In practice, the most common causes of teeth sensitivity are:

1. Abrasion Cavities

2. Extremely worn down teeth exposing the softer inner layer of teeth called Dentine

3. Dental Decay

4. Hairline cracks in teeth

Consultation and examination with your regular dentist.

I hope you find this information useful and I wish you all the best in your journey to get a nicer, whiter smile!

Thank you for your question.

Well it really depends on the source and nature of your tooth sensitivity as the approach may be very different for different circumstances. We would not be able to say for certain without some form of prior clinical examination by your dentist.

In general, my patients do find that take-home whitening tends to cause less sensitivity but again, this really depends on what the source of your sensitivity is in the first place.

After whitening, we would expect teeth to stay white for at least a year or more on average before some touch-up may be needed. This of course varies very much with your lifestyle and diet as well.

Reference: http://www.tpdental.com.sg/teeth-whitening/

Hi there!

Most people are generally eligible to some forms of whitening. However, it is advisable for you to inform your practitioner about your teeth sensitivity prior whitening. Not that it will cause disastrous consequences, but it would make your teeth whitening procedure a little less unpleasant.

Teeth sensitivity could be due to

1) Decay

2) Persistent gum inflammation

3) General teeth hypersensivity due to wear of enamel layer

If teeth sensitive is really an issue prior whitening, I would get it addressed before the procedure.

However there is always an option of using a lower concentration whitening gel that would minimise the sensitivity effect.

Thus, the home whitening kit might be a better option as it allows the user the flexibility to choose the concentration of the gel, and to stop when the sensitivity becomes too unbearable

One little quick tip is to start using sensitive toothpaste maybe for 1-2 weeks before your whitening. I would sometimes even suggest my patients to take a pea size of the toothpaste and smear it over the sensitive area daily at night before sleep, without rinsing to allow a better desensitising effect.

Teeth whitening effects can last for about 1-2 years, depending on the patient's lifestyle and expectations.

Cheers!

Kenneth

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Answered By

Dr Sylvia Tan

Orthodontist

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