Getting your teeth professionally whitened is an easy way to instantly enhance your smile and increase self-confidence. Teeth whitening is a popular in-office treatment that makes smiles everywhere brighter and more eye-catching—and since most people say the first thing they notice about someone is their smile, this treatment is popular for a reason!
If you have sensitive teeth, you can still benefit from teeth whitening without having painful side effects such as severe tooth sensitivity. The following are your best teeth whitening options for sensitive teeth!
Professional In-Office Whitening
Getting a professional teeth whitening is always your best option, especially when it comes to sensitive teeth. This is because at-home whitening kits are easy to misuse due to the amount of peroxide in the whitening strips or trays. These aren’t customized for your unique smile and if tooth sensitivity is a problem before you attempt to whiten your teeth, you could make the problem worse by trying to do a professional’s job at home.
Your dentist is the professional best equipped to handle your tooth sensitivity and protect your teeth during the procedure. During a professional whitening, a buffer is generally used in the peroxide gel to protect your tooth’s enamel from any damage. Talk to your dentist about tooth sensitivity before the whitening procedure to ensure maximum protection for your sensitive teeth!
Laser Teeth Whitening
Laser teeth whitening is becoming a popular treatment that provides fast yet dramatic results for your smile. In less than an hour, you can have a completely transformed smile at your dentist’s office! During laser teeth whitening, a higher concentration of peroxide is used and your dentist uses a laser to accelerate the whitening process.
With laser teeth whitening, precautions are taken to prevent tooth sensitivity and protect your teeth. This could include using a desensitizing toothpaste or doing a fluoride treatment after the procedure, as well as fully protecting your gums and teeth from the bleaching agents during the procedure. Laser teeth whitening shortens the length of time your teeth are exposed to the peroxide and can erase stains in as little as 20 minutes!
Fluoride Treatment Post Whitening
Whether you get a traditional in-office teeth whitening or laser teeth whitening, your dentist may choose to do a fluoride treatment after the procedure to minimize the chances of tooth sensitivity and help protect your tooth enamel from damage. Your dentist may also choose to customize your tooth whitening procedure by using a less intense peroxide solution to further protect your sensitive teeth. Talk to your dentist about getting a fluoride treatment post whitening to help alleviate your tooth sensitivity after the procedure!
Getting your teeth whitened is a simple yet effective change that can completely transform your smile. You don’t have to miss out on having brilliantly white teeth just because of tooth sensitivity. Talk to your dentist about laser teeth whitening or a professional teeth whitening with a fluoride treatment afterwards to minimize tooth sensitivity. You can have beautiful white teeth that don’t hurt!
