Question:
I need to know if teeth whitening is safe. Are there different
methods...and each with different risks?
I have been hearing conflicting opinions on the safety of having my
teeth whitened. My dentist has assured me the product I will be using
is safe. It is the Take-Home Tooth Whitening kit from the Premier
Dental Products Company. A friend of mine said her dentist will not
whiten her teeth because it is bad for the teeth (makes it weaker...more
prone to cavities). I do not know the method her dentist was referring
to.
Perhaps both dentists are correct depending on which method is used?
Answer:
It is rather difficult to damage the hard tissues of a tooth by bleaching.
It is much easier to damage the soft tissues surrounding the tooth. Good
well monitored home bleaching kits utilizing custom made trays should never
hurt your teeth. Some temporary sensitivity of the teeth is reported in a
few cases (in my office maybe 1/150 cases).
There are several types of tooth whitening methods. The most traditional is
the use of mouth trays in which you put a whitening gel for several hours
during the course of the day and/or night. The result takes several weeks
and the only drawback besides wearing the trays is a sensitivity in the
teeth which lasts only as long as you use the trays.
The newest method of tooth whitening is with the use of lasers which can be
done in the dental office in one visit and causes no sensitivity. We have
had experience with hundreds, possibly thousands of laser whitenings over
the past several years and have not had any indication of weakening of the
teeth due to whitening. If anything, patients have been extremely pleased
with the results.
