I salivate a lot at night, and my teeth are whitening unevenly. Are they related, and what should I do?

Question

Two problems: the trays are causing me to salivate a lot at night (sometimes I'm almost drooling, though I go directly to bed after putting them in, and lie on my back); my teeth are definitely whitening, but darker toward the gums. I'm thinking that maybe saliva is getting into the trays? How can I tell, and what should I do?

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

If whitening trays are soft and flexible, they can feel somewhat bulky and flare out at the gumline (allowing saliva to get in and leave teeth yellow near the gums).  The flaring and bulk can stimulate saliva flow, so superior methods (like the KöR system) will help.  The rigid trays are also much thinner, so more comfortable and they do not allow saliva to infiltrate.

Patric Cohen, DDS, FAGD · Answer

Whitening trays can increase saliva. You may want to try whitening for a couple of hours before bed. The darkness towards the gumline is due to the enamel being thinner there and tooth structure being naturally darker.

TEETH WHITENING PROVIDERS NEAR YOU

I salivate a lot at night, and my teeth are whitening unevenly. Are they related, and what should I do?

Answers (2)

TEETH WHITENING PROVIDERS NEAR YOU