How to Whiten Sensitive Teeth
‘Tooth sensitivity’ is often listed as a top reason why people hesitate to even attempt to try whitening their teeth. This should not be an issue that prevents someone from heightening their quality of life by having whiter teeth.
Having a deeper understanding of the science behind teeth whitening, and knowing where teeth sensitivity comes from, allows for a much safer and pain-free teeth whitening process for everyone!
Whiten Teeth Correctly
Yes, the teeth whitening process has been drastically improved and simplified, but one must still follow instructions to ensure positive pain-free results. Sensitive teeth can be an annoyance, especially if you are trying to whiten teeth incorrectly. Avoid tooth discomfort and pain by following these steps.
Brush Before, Not After
Brush your teeth before applying any whitening products. Bleaching or whitening the teeth causes them to be more porous. Brushing directly after applying whitening products causes even more porousness - and can cause pain. It is best to brush your teeth with a chemical-free toothpaste, free of fluoride, as this creates a barrier and you won’t get maximum results from your whitening strips. Bliss offers the world's first Whitening Primer Toothpaste, which is a must for pre-whitening.
Use a toothbrush with bristles that are not too hard. Always brush gently and focus more on full rotations of the brush vs applying pressure or brushing with too much force. Using a sonic toothbrush is ideal. This article explains how a sonic toothbrush maximises cleaning and whitening teeth.
Follow Instructions
People still continue to try and whiten teeth without ever reading, and of course following, bleaching instructions. Bleaching teeth is a delicate procedure that needs to follow precise and laid out steps. Instructions should be clearly listed and usually labelled on the outside of the packaging, as well as including more detailed instructions inside. Follow them to avoid complications with sensitive teeth. It is vital to strictly follow whitening instructions for the quickest and best teeth whitening results.
Always Rinse
Always rinse after using teeth whitening products¹. This step should be listed on the instructions, but make sure you rinse out any teeth whitening product from your mouth immediately after use. This negates any ingredient buildup of product on your teeth, which might cause discomfort or pain, as it can eat away at the enamel over long periods of exposure.
Avoid Overuse of Teeth Whitening Products
Each teeth whitening product will list how much and how often one can safely use it. Make sure to understand exactly how often you should use each teeth whitening product. The temptation to ‘accelerate’ the teeth whitening process by using bleaching products more than advised can be dangerous and can cause tooth pain and discomfort.
Use a Desensitising Toothpaste
Apply desensitising gel or toothpaste over the gums and teeth where there is consistent discomfort. This will allow you to continue gradually whitening the teeth with a bearable level of discomfort.
How to Deal with Teeth Sensitivity
If you are still concerned about teeth sensitivity and discomfort, here are some tips to help you before you begin your teeth whitening journey.
Avoid Extreme Food Temperatures
Food and drink that is either too hot or too cold will cause discomfort if you have sensitive teeth. Try to avoid it. Using a straw, hopefully not a plastic one, helps as the liquid shouldn’t ever come into direct contact with the teeth².
Avoiding foods with too much acid, sugar, and soda/tea/coffee will lessen any pain that might be felt from whitening sensitive teeth. Read this article for more details on which foods to avoid while bleaching your teeth.
Choose Your Teeth Whitening Products Carefully!
We cannot overstate the importance of choosing your teeth whitening products wisely. Needless to say, there needs to be the basic research done to make sure the teeth whitening products you use are safe and effective.
It is highly recommended that a teeth whitening brand should be used consistently once it has been identified as safe and effective. Most reputable brands have a product line up that will help in almost every step of the bleaching process.
If some teeth whitening companies have a lot of products on offer, including ones that seem too good to be true (think purple shampoo for your teeth), they probably are, and should be avoided. Be smart, and use products that are developed by dentists and are transparent with their ingredients.
Conclusion
Since each whitening product is different, be sure to follow the instructions for how to apply and how long you should keep it on before rinsing.
Some whitening products may cause you more discomfort than others. Test a few options to find the best choice for you. Products like whitening trays may cause more irritation if your sensitivity is due to gum-related issues, because the whitening gel is more likely to come in contact with your gums. However, if you have cracked or worn teeth, all whitening products may cause some irritation.
Bliss Oral Care is dentist-approved, dentist developed, and is safe on enamel. Their products, including their Leave-In Whitening Strips and Dissolving Whitening Strips have zero reviews that the products caused the user sensitivity or discomfort.
¹ https://silveradofamilydental.com/ouch-can-whiten-sensitive-teeth/