What are some possible side effects of professional teeth whitening treatments?

Is there any pain involved with professional teeth whitening treatments? There doesn't have to be any pain or discomfort related to having professional bleaching treatments performed by your dentist. But just like with any type of peroxide teeth whitening process side effects can and do occur ... What type of side effects might be noticed during the in-office whitening treatment? The peroxide bleaching agents dentist use when they perform professional teeth whitening treatments are caustic in nature and can be very irritating to the soft tissues of the mouth. This is why a dentist performing in-office whitening goes to great lengths to isolate their patient's teeth by way of placing a dental dam. An important safety feature of in-office teeth bleaching procedure is to limit the peroxide to tooth contact only.

Professional teeth whitening. Page 1 Which is best, in-office or at-home teeth whitening? What are the advantages and disadvantages of professional teeth whitening? Page 2 and 3 What steps are involved with professional teeth whitening? Page 4 What type of teeth whitener is utilized? Should a laser or a light be used during the treatment? Page 5 How much does professional whitening cost? What level of whitening results can be expected? Page 6 What side effects are associated with professional teeth whitening?    At-home teeth whitening. Whitening strips Tray whitening

During the actual treatment process it is possible that the teeth being bleached will become sensitive or have some discomfort. Depending on the nature of these symptoms the dentist may decide that the treatment time should be cut short and the process terminated. If the possibility exists that there might be tooth pain you may wonder why dentists don't just numb a person's mouth before the bleaching treatment begins. Actually, not using anesthetic helps to make the whitening procedure safer. It minimizes the potential for the treatment to have unexpectedly seriously aggravated the nerve tissue inside a tooth. Equally important, the presence of discomfort can warn the dentist that the dental dam is allowing peroxide to come into contact with gum tissue or else the person's lips or cheeks. If the patient's mouth was numb these warning signals would not be available.

What side effects might be experienced after a professional teeth whitening treatment has been completed? Increased tooth sensitivity to hot and cold foods and beverages. It would be common place that anyone undergoing any type of peroxide-based teeth whitening treatments would, after a treatment has taken place, experience an increased sensitivity to hot and cold stimuli such as foods and beverages. In most cases this thermal sensitivity is self-limiting and will dissipate within some days after the whitening treatment has taken place. However to be on the safe side you should always feel free to report any changes or side effects you notice to your dentist so they can evaluate them. There are some remedies for this thermal sensitivity. One of them involves an application of fluoride to the surface of teeth. You might have noticed that we listed that one of the final steps of professional teeth whitening treatment can be for the dentist to perform a fluoride treatment for the patient. This step should help to minimize the amount of thermal sensitivity the person notices during the days following the treatment. Another common remedy for teeth that are sensitive to hot and cold items involves the use of an over-the-counter product. Some toothpastes, typically labeled as being "for sensitive teeth", contain the ingredient potassium nitrate. Continued use of a tube of this type of toothpaste over a period of some days and weeks should decrease the amount of tooth thermal sensitivity that a person notices.

Tooth pain and discomfort. There is a phenomenon where there is little tooth discomfort from the bleaching treatment when the patient leaves the dental office but some hours later it has appeared. Depending on the situation this discomfort on occasion can even be moderate to severe. It is thought that this type of tooth discomfort is related to inflammation of the tooth's nerve related to one of the following forms of irritation: The penetration of the peroxide bleaching agent to the nerve tissue of the tooth. The dehydration of the tooth during the bleaching process. Exposure of the tooth to an elevated temperature for an extended period of time (in those cases where an "activating" light or laser has been used as a part of the bleaching treatment). As with any type of post treatment sensitivity you should contact your dentist so they can determine if the symptoms you are experiencing lie within normal limits and also make a recommendation regarding a solution. In most cases this discomfort is self-limiting and will subside within just a few days time. Dentists often suggest that over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or aspirin can be helpful to speed up this process. In all cases you should read the labeling found on any drug you consider taking so to make sure it is an appropriate medication for you.

Premedication with an anti-inflammatory drug before whitening treatments. It has been suggested in the dental literature that some in-office bleaching post-treatment side effects might be minimized if dental patients premedicate themselves with an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen or aspirin before they have their bleaching treatment is performed. It's best to ask your dentist about the suitability of this idea for your situation. In all cases you should read the labeling found on any drug you consider taking so to make sure it is an appropriate medication for you.

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