How to Prevent Sensitivity During Your Teeth Whitening Regimen

Health & Medical Blog

Have you ever experienced sensitivity after whitening your teeth? If so, you are not alone! Most teeth whitening products cause the teeth to be extra sensitive to heat, cold, touch, and certain types of foods. However, sensitivity should not deter from whitening your teeth as this is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to restore the natural color of teeth. Here you will learn some measures that can be taken to reduce or prevent teeth sensitivity during and after your teeth whitening procedure.

Use desensitizing toothpaste

Teeth have a hard outer shell known as the enamel and a soft inner surface called the dentin. The dentin is made up of small tubules that meet up with the tooth's nerve endings. When you whiten the teeth, the product strips away part of the enamel and exposes the dentin. This causes the teeth to be sensitive to hot and cold foods and beverages, brushing, and even air. Desensitizing toothpaste has an active ingredient such as potassium nitrate or strontium chloride that offers relief against sensitivity.

Use desensitizing toothpaste before, during, and after teeth whitening to minimize the chances of experiencing heightened sensitivity.

Change your diet

Making some minor tweaks in your diet before and after teeth whitening can significantly reduce sensitivity after the procedure. Acidic foods and drinks are known to erode the enamel and wear it off over time. It is important to cut back on these foods to protect your enamel from corroding further. Also, avoid sweets and hot and cold foods and drinks as they can worsen sensitivity after a whitening procedure. These tweaks in your diet will not be long-term, and you can always get back to your favorite sweets, iced drinks, and hot foods after the whitening regimen.

Take pain relievers

If you experience extreme sensitivity even after using desensitizing toothpaste and avoiding the mentioned foods, it may be time to take pain relievers. You can ask your dentist or doctor to recommend some suitable painkillers to relieve the discomfort of tooth sensitivity. Avoid purchasing over-the-counter pain relievers such as NSAIDs, especially if you have had problems such as acid reflux and indigestion in the past. Some NSAIDs can worsen acidity and indigestion problems; therefore, you should not take them without a prescription from your doctor.

Sensitivity is a common occurrence after a teeth whitening procedure, but it can be worse if you whiten your teeth at home using drugstore kits and strips. For the best whitening results and proper follow-up, visit your dentist for professional teeth whitening. For more information, visit a website such as http://www.dentalsmile.com.au.

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22 March 2017

Common Health Problems and Solutions

Hello, my name is Catherine and this is my blog all about health and medical topics. I was inspired to start this blog by my husband who works in a hospital. He isn't a doctor, he works in a lab testing blood samples. However, he is extremely interested in medicine. When his grandma got sick, he quickly established what might be wrong and got her all the help she needed. Sometimes is the evening, we sit and read textbooks and talk about medicine. It sounds insane but we both really like it. I decided to start this blog to show off some of what I have learnt.