How to Reduce Tooth Sensitivity After Whitening
Naenae Clinic specialises in a variety of things, including teeth whitening for Wellington clientele. Over the course of your lifetime, your teeth can become discoloured due to things like coffee, smoking, or even natural ageing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them to look like the pearly whites they once were!
It is important to note, however, that whitening treatments can create temporary tooth sensitivity. This is because the chemicals in tooth whitening products have a bleach component which can make your teeth feel slightly painful after treatment, especially when exposed to things of extreme temperatures.
So what should you do if you’re experiencing tooth sensitivity after whitening? Read our expert advice!
Use Lower Concentration & Bigger Gaps
Bleaching your teeth too regularly or using a high concentration of the bleaching agent has the potential to increase your tooth sensitivity. To combat this, use smart brightening practices and give your teeth a rest in between each whitening session.
The amount of bleach in whitening products is not the same across the board. Professional-grade treatments have higher amounts of bleach because they need to work in one session. Conversely, take-home trays have a lower concentration of bleach as they are meant to be safe for use for anyone who buys them. Thus, you’ll need to use them multiple times to get the full effect.
If you are concerned about tooth sensitivity, a take-home kit may be the better choice so you can space out the treatments over time and lessen the chance of developing painful sensitivity.
Caring for Whitened Teeth
After a professional teeth-whitening service, or in the middle of brightening your teeth over time at home, it’s best to implement a few additional strategies to give your teeth the extra protection they need. If you’re noticing some sensitivity, here are a few things you can do to reduce it quickly:
- Invest in toothpaste for sensitive teeth. Brands like Sensodyne® are developed specifically for this purpose, and they work really well! Brush slowly and gently with it twice a day and you should notice a reduction in sensitivity.
- Avoid very hot or very cold foods. Foods like ice cream or hot soup are common triggers for a flareup, because the extreme temperatures penetrate the tooth easily and disturb the nerve. Give your teeth a bit of a rest and avoid these if you can.
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Don’t over bleach. The coveted look of sparkling-white teeth is tempting, but if it’s causing significant pain then you should hold off on whitening treatments (at least for a while). Pay attention to how your teeth feel, and if any pain becomes too much, cease the treatment.
Talk to Your Dentist
hey say a good defence is the best offence, and that’s true for teeth as well! Before you do any kind of teeth whitening treatment, you should talk to your dental hygienist. They can inform you of the current condition of your teeth, as well as suggest the ideal method for you to go about it. This will keep you from doing anything that will permanently damage your teeth and protect your tooth enamel’s structural integrity in the long run.
If you have already done teeth whitening and you’re experiencing sensitivity, take the time to schedule a consultation with your dentist and ask for a way forward. They may offer a prescription gel, a particular brand of toothpaste, or a variety of other potential treatments.
Get your teeth whitened right.
At Naenae Dental Clinic, we offer the full spectrum of teeth-whitening services. From take-home kits to in-clinic zoom whitening, we’ve got you covered. Talk to one of the best dentists in Wellington about your next cosmetic dental procedure today.