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Advanced cosmetic and general dentistry

An 8-Step Guide to Whitening Your Teeth Before You Get Dental Crowns

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Are you trying to determine the best way to whiten your teeth before getting dental crowns? Several keys will ensure your crowns match your newly brightened smile.

1. How Much Is Enough?

Although there is no specific limit on how long to whiten your teeth, the longer you use the bleaching gel, the whiter your teeth will get. Keep in mind that sensitivity can become an issue. And the pace of whitening will decrease over time.

2. Questions to Ask Yourself Before Teeth Whitening

  • How satisfied am I with the color of my teeth?
  • How much have I bleached them in the past?
  • Has the bleaching gel I’m using made a difference?

3. How Much Time Should You Whiten Each Day?

In general, you should keep the bleaching trays on your teeth for a minimum of 20-30 minutes. But it can stay on longer. The length of your daily whitening time depends on whether the bleaching gel is causing a lot of sensitivity in your teeth.

4. What Time of Day Is Best?

Photo of a woman's mouch with custom teeth whitening trays being placed on her teeth; from Lowell MA accredited cosmetic dentist Michael Szarek, DMD.

Custom teeth-whitening trays seal bleaching gel against your teeth

You can whiten your teeth during the day or at night. One advantage of nighttime use is that while you’re sleeping your, saliva flow decreases. The bleaching gel will stay in the trays longer. Although daytime use is effective, increased saliva flow can water down the gel. Custom bleaching trays fit snugly and keep saliva out, but if you don’t have them, the bleaching gel will get diluted. You will need to rinse the trays and replenish the gel.

5. What If You Overdo It?

Your teeth will let you know if you’ve whitened them too much. They will become sensitive to heat and cold. But you can manage the sensitivity in one or more of the following ways:

  • Take ibuprofen daily
  • Ask your dentist for fluoride gel
  • Use Sensodyne toothpaste, which is for sensitive teeth.

6. When to Stop Whitening Your Teeth Before Receiving New Dental Crowns

After you’ve completed the whitening sessions, oxygen bubbles from the peroxide gel will continue to disperse and whiten your teeth. It takes about two weeks for the color to stabilize. If you’re receiving crowns on your front teeth, wait the full two weeks before visiting your dentist to match them to your natural teeth.

7. Before You Receive Your Crowns

It’s best to find a skilled cosmetic dentist who will guide you through the whitening process and provide lifelike dental crowns that perfectly match your natural teeth. A dependable cosmetic dentist will never be satisfied with taking a chance on matching the crowns with your whither teeth. Ask yourself, “Is this the right dentist to give me a new smile?”

Although you might think crowns are the best solution for the issues with your teeth, an experienced cosmetic dentist will explain your options. Look for a nearby accredited cosmetic dentist. Accredited cosmetic dentists have demonstrated their skill by completing rigorous exams and submitting successful patient cases to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

8. After You Receive Your Crowns

Over time, your teeth will pick up stains from coffee, tea, wine, smoking, and certain fruits. Every six months, you can whiten your teeth for a few days to restore their brightness. Be careful not to overdo it because they will no longer match your dental crowns.

This post is sponsored by accredited cosmetic dentist Michael Szarek, DMD of Lowell, MA.

4 Ways to Rescue Your Teeth from Over-Bleaching

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When you look in the mirror and see how dramatically teeth whitening treatments have brightened your smile, the results can be exhilarating. For some people, the thrill of seeing their teeth get amazingly white becomes habit forming.

Photo of teeth whitening trays in a case, for information on DIY teeth whitening from Lowell, MA dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Teeth whitening should be carefully monitored

If you received teeth whitening from your dentist, you were probably advised to use it for about two weeks and to wait before starting another session to allow the color to stabilize. But what if you continue bleaching your teeth for weeks, even months? Or what if you are whitening your teeth over and over again without a dentist’s supervision? Although you may not notice how much whiter your teeth are getting, they can become sensitive and brittle.

What Can You Do to Protect Your Teeth?

  1. Take a break. Stop whitening your teeth and give them time to recover. After you stop whitening treatment, the shade of your teeth will continue to brighten over the next few days. Give your teeth and gums time to recover. Irritated nerves can become less sensitive if they are not in contact with the bleaching gel. And irritated gum tissue can heal.
  2. Switch your toothpaste. Daily use toothpaste for sensitive teeth. It penetrates the tiny holes in your teeth and blocks the nerves to decrease sensitivity.
  3. Tell your dentist. You might be embarrassed to tell your dentist about your teeth whitening habit. But your dentist can examine your teeth and let you know if there is any external or internal damage to your teeth. He or she can provide treatment to protect your teeth from further damage. Prescription fluoride treatment or toothpaste might be recommended to strengthen your teeth.
  4. You should avoid whitening your teeth without your dentist’s approval. It’s possible to resume teeth whitening too soon. Just because your teeth feel better doesn’t mean it’s safe to use bleaching gel on them. Your dentist will let you know when, how, and how frequently you should use the gel.

 

Accredited cosmetic dentist Michael Szarek, DMD of Lowell, MA sponsors this blog.

5 Causes of Sensitivity from Teeth Whitening and 5 Things You Can Do about It

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Teeth whitening is an easy way to rejuvenate your smile. But what if you experience sensitivity from whitening? Something is wrong. Whitening your teeth should be a comfortable and enjoyable experience. Causes, treatment, and prevention of sensitivity or pain are discussed below.

What Causes Sensitivity with Teeth Whitening?

1. Decay

Untreated cavities get worse and affect the layers of your teeth. When decay begins to affect tooth pulp, which includes nerves, your teeth can become sensitive to heat, cold, and other things—including whitening gel—that come in contact with your teeth.

2. Leaking restorations

If dental fillings or other restorations, including dental crowns, are not correctly sealed or bonded, bacteria and fluids can leak beneath them. The tooth pulp will become irritated. If you use teeth whitening gel while you have a leaking restoration, it can create even more sensitivity.

3. Gingival recession

Receding gums expose tooth roots. The roots can become sensitive to the touch and to temperature changes. Already sensitive roots can be further irritated with teeth whitening gel.

4. Cracks or other damage

If a tooth has a small fracture or other damage, bleaching gel can leak in and create sensitivity.

5. Dentin tubules

Dentin tubules are small channels in the dentin, or middle layer of a tooth, that transfer sensations from outside a tooth to the inside. Although dentin tubules naturally have plugs, the chemical reaction during the whitening process opens the plugs. Some people experience sensitivity to the carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide in teeth whitening gel as it flows to the tooth nerves.

What Can You Do About Sensitivity from Teeth Whitening?

1. Use a lower concentration of whitening gel

There are varying strengths of whitening gel. You might get better results with a less potent gel. It might take a little longer to get your teeth as white as you want, but the experience will be more comfortable.

Photo of teeth whitening trays in a case, for information on DIY teeth whitening from Lowell, MA dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.
Teeth whitening should be comfortable

2. Shorten the whitening session

Reduce the time you wear the bleaching trays. Shorter sessions can limit sensitivity in your teeth.

3. Whiten your teeth less often

Give your teeth a break. Avoid whitening them for an extended period of time, and avoid excessive treatment.

4. Use toothpaste for sensitivity

Some types of toothpaste are designed to reduce sensitivity in teeth. You can use them before and after whitening sessions. Your dentist can provide you with desensitizing gel or paste.

5. Protect your teeth in advance

When you receive teeth whitening from a dentist, a desensitizing agent can be applied to your teeth before and after bleaching sessions. Some dentists ask patients to use desensitizing toothpaste up to two weeks before a whitening session.

What’s Next?

If you are experiencing prolonged sensitivity in your teeth, schedule an appointment with your dentist. He or she will examine your teeth and gums and explain your treatment options.

Dentist-supervised teeth whitening provides safe, comfortable, and predictable results. Speak with your dentist about your options for a brighter smile.

This post is sponsored by Lowell, MA accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.

Teeth whitening made my teeth feel like they’re being electrocuted!

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I got my teeth cleaned 2 days ago. I know it’s good to do my whitening touch-up after they have been cleaned so I put the gel in my whitening trays and wore them overnight. I didn’t feel any pain overnight, but as the morning went on I felt this huge zinging in my teeth, like my teeth were being electrocuted! It really hurt. Also I noticed that if I drank something cold or hot or ate something sweet, the sensitivity was even worse. It’s getting a little better now but I was really concerned. Why does teeth whitening hurt so bad? –  Rebekah

Rebekah – Teeth whitening can cause some sensitivity, but extreme sensitivity isn’t always felt. And for many people it doesn’t hurt at all.

The teeth-bleaching process opens pores in the dentin of your teeth and causes increased sensitivity. Dentin is the calcified tissue beneath the enamel of your teeth. The nerve in a tooth can also be temporarily irritated by the bleaching process and cause sensitivity.

After you’re finished with the bleaching process, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.

You can ask your dentist for desensitizing gel, which is applied to your teeth about 30 minutes before you bleach them. If you experience extreme sensitivity, some dentists recommend taking ibuprofen before you whiten your teeth. Some patients find it helpful to brush their teeth with Sensodyne® toothpaste in the days and weeks following teeth bleaching.

Other suggestions are to reduce the amount of bleaching gel you place in the trays or wear the trays for a shorter period of time.

This post is sponsored by Lowell dentist Dr. Michael Szarek.