The best whitening treatment for those with sensitive teeth tends to be a treatment with the lowest strength bleach, such as over-the-counter bleaching agents or custom bleach trays. In office whitening utilizes the most powerful bleaching agents and can result in greater sensitivity after the procedure. If our patients report sensitivities to cold, we generally recommend brushing with Sensodyne toothpaste for 2 weeks prior to bleaching to reduce post bleaching sensitivity.
Whitening treatments will have no effect on porcelain veneers. If a patient is considering whitening teeth, we will recommend that they finish all bleaching procedures at least 1 month before veneer treatment is performed so that a stable shade can be determined.
I tell my patients that any orthodontic therapy is a lifetime treatment. Retainers are given to patients once active treatment is complete and should be worn full time for approximately 3 months after treatment and then at night for the rest of a patient's life.
I tell my patients that the results start to become very evident usually at the half way point of their prescribed length of treatment.
I recommend patients clean their Invisalign trays as soon as they are removed from their mouth with a toothbrush and a small amount of toothpaste just as they would if they were brushing their teeth. The cleaning process should not take very long. Make sure that the trays are thoroughly rinsed before you reinsert them
