People with sensitive teeth often find it a painful experience when they expose their teeth to anything hot or cold. The exposed nerve endings can be caused due to all sorts of reasons. They often shoot up unbearable spurts of pain, thereby making it very difficult for people to eat or drink hot or cold items. As such, you might wonder how people can possibly think about teeth whitening for sensitive teeth as it involves the use of several chemicals that can aggravate the pain from the exposed nerves. There are however, a number of ways in which people can undergo the whitening process which do not involve any pain.
As a general rule, it must first be emphasized that people with sensitive teeth must consult a dentist who will them examine the teeth and also take x-rays to see the internal condition of the nerves and the gums. Once this is done, there is a choice of two procedures which dentists generally use and one home alternative in order to carry out the whitening process.
The first of these procedures call for the use of a protective gel or rubber shield in order to protect the teeth from the chemicals. Once the teeth are shielded, then the dentist can use hydrogen peroxide on the teeth which can bleach the teeth and significantly change the shade of the teeth. There are several concentrated solutions available and generally for people with sensitive teeth, a solution with 5-10% concentration is used.
The second of these procedures is a little longer but can give great results. It involves a two step process where the patient is made to use a customized mouthpiece which can protect the exposed nerve endings. This mouthpiece is then coated with the whitening gel which contains carbamide peroxide in very small concentrations. The patient may have to wear the mouthpiece overnight for as long as required and must visit the dentists regularly in order to properly monitor the process.
The third process involves the use of over the counter whitening products that are freely available on the market. These are very effective but will need to be used very carefully as any contact with the exposed nerves may cause a lot of pain and in extreme cases, damage to the nerves and the gums. Teeth whitening for sensitive teeth is usually best performed by the dentist and not at home.
Dentists generally use a procedure that they think will suit the patient in the best way. As such, needless to say, the procedure may require more than one visit and may cost a substantial amount of money however for some people the results in the end are worth it. The cheaper option of whitening at home with gels, strips, etc may seem very desirable but the risk involved is also high. As such, people can chose the route that is the best for their needs and they need not suffer any pain or extra procedures while undergoing these processes.
There are also a number of newer and more technologically dependent processes which use the latest in technology to produce dazzling results. However, these processes may not be accessible to everyone and most may find the above mentioned traditional methods to be extremely effective.
If patients are uncomfortable from the procedure of teeth whitening for sensitive teeth, the may also be prescribed painkillers or anesthetics to numb the pain, but these are individual considerations and are subject to discretion of the dentist.