I have been using an take-home tooth bleaching system purchased from a local drugstore for about two weeks with no problems. But yesterday, I used the strips and felt a sharp pain for about 30 seconds. The pain was in a front tooth on which I have had dental bonding done. The bonding was done about 10 years ago to repair that tooth after it was damaged and chipped. Could the dental bond be nearing the end of its life cycle or is the whitening product weakening the bond? I think it may be both.
Thanks!
Kim
Dear Kim,
It’s unlikely that the bleaching system is harming the dental bond. Also, if the dental bond were weak, the repair to the chipped portion of the tooth would fall off. You would not just feel pain.
The kind of pain you describe sounds like it could be caused by the bleaching gel reaching a sensitive part of that tooth. There could be a small space of tooth that used to be covered by the bonding agent that is now exposed. Unfortunately, your case is a good example of why it’s a good idea to only undergo teeth bleaching (whitening) under the supervision of a qualified dentist. If you have a dentist that you see regularly, make an appointment so that he or she can examine the tooth and determine the source of the pain. The tooth may be able to be coated with something that will allow you to continue the bleaching program pain free.