Teeth Whitening Sensitive Teeth?

A small percentage of patients experience sensitivity regardless of the system used, whether it is over-the-counter strips, trays, or in-office. To minimize pain, take two Advil, an excellent anti-inflammatory, one half hour before the whitening procedure. Choose the in-office whitening, which produces significantly less sensitivity than other methods because the hypersensitive areas of the teeth are masked.

In my personal experience, the Deep Bleaching system I use in my office with AcquaBrite bleach in the office and then having the patient do at home bleaching with Nite White, using the same custom trays, works incredibly well. Patients get at least 10 shades lighter in 2 weeks with no sensitivity in general. Even patients who have been told they can't whiten have had tremendous results with our protocol. One in office bleaching session just does not work to get long lasting,... more

If your teeth are sensitive on a daily basis, there are things you can do to help decrease your sensitivity.  Stay away from citrus and acidic foods, and use a non-abrasive toothpaste with a soft toothbrush. A desensitizing toothpaste like Prevident 5000 can also be very helpful.  A lower strength whitening gel (10%-15%) would cause less sensitivity than a stronger gel (20%-35%).  It may take a little more time to whiten your teeth, but the results will be worth it... more

For patients with sensitive teeth we first review home care techniques. The use of an extra soft brush ( or Sonicare) and switching to a low abrasive tooth paste. I then make bleaching trays for the patient to use with MI paste (a special paste used to remineralize teeth) until the sensitivity stops. I then give the patient bleaching solution to use only one hour per day for 7-14 days

Some products are less "sensitivity inducing" than others, but it IS common Pre dosing with ibuprofen helps, as does wearing the trays with dentist distributed Fluoride prior to the bleaching gel. Most of the time the pain is from dehydration of the teeth while bleaching. The water is "wicked" out of the teeth, but then returns shortly. It is commonly stated that "beauty is pain" and it may apply here. There may be some discomfort during the process, but... more

Sensitivity mainly depends on the individual’s teeth and some are just more sensitive than others. However, here at the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry we specialise in whitening treatments that use very little hydrogen peroxide (this is what can cause sensitivity) but achieve fabulous results (as if we were using a high percentage) due to the technology we apply to do the whitening. For example, we have the UltraSonic whitening, a favourite with the Hollywood A-list, which uses... more