I have sensitive teeth all the time. What causes this and can this be treated?

How long will it take for teeth to become their whitest?

How long will the whitening results last?

Why it is not recommended to bleach your teeth or use white strips while pregnant or nursing?

Will bleaching gel whiten my veneers, caps (crowns) and bonding?

What brand of bleaching system/gel does a dentist recommend?

What is the shelf life and wearing time of bleaching gel?

What do the different bleaching percentages mean?

Which bleaching gel works the best i.e. faster?

How many bleaching syringes do I need to buy in order to whiten my teeth?

What is the difference between carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide bleaching gel?

These are just some of the questions through out this site and in future articles I will attempt to answer these and other petinent questions.

Q: What tooth bleaching selections are there if I'm interested by bleaching my teeth?

There are a selection of different options to lighten teeth.

One is Pro bleaching which means visiting a dentist and the second is over the counter lightening i.e. Chair-side bleaching, which involves getting your teeth bleached in typically a single dental visit at a dentist or a much publicized bleaching center like Britesmile and Zoom.

There are two sorts of At-home-tray whitening systems.From moulds of your teeth a custom-made bleaching trays is built by a dental lab, which you use at home with a bleaching agent.

A boil and bite tray is formed by you in seconds and used with bleaching gel.

Tray-less Bleaching using Crest Bleaching Strips or a paint on gel like Colgate Simply White. Chair-side bleaching can be done in 2 ways. The dentist uses a particularly powerful bleaching agent alone or together with a light / laser.

Q: Is bleaching safe or does it damage the tooth?

There are no studies to show no changes to the teeth which might be harmful.

Most research available was at first done with a 10% concentration. There is not any literature that we have come across showing any structural changes or irrevocable damage to the teeth although research using stronger solutions is less freely available.

Q:What are the complications and side effect of tooth whitening?

Perhaps the widest known side effect to teeth whitening is sensitivity to cold / hot liquids and even air.

All bleaching causes tooth sensitivity but if you find this to much you should abandon your tooth whitening method.

When using any tooth whitening method for several days you may notice some tooth sensitivity but usually this will dissipate inside 24-48 hrs of stopping use.

Q: I have sensitive teeth all the time what causes it and can it be treated?

Desensitizing toothpaste like Sensodyne or any of the over the counter toothpastes containing potassium nitrate can help ease tooth sensitivity. One cause of tooth sensitivity is the use of bleaching products others can be caused by damaged enamel on the teeth exposing tiny little area of the nerve. These can usually be rectified by regular use of a sensitive tooth paste of gel.

Q:How long will my teeth take to become their whitest?

Some teeth bleach seriously quickly in just a few days, while others can take some months. The more yellow vs grey color you have in your teeth, the better the teeth whitening. Grayed enamel like that caused by use of Tetracycline ( antibiotic ) and harder to bleach and can to several months to bleach back to normal whiteness.

Q: How Long will the Whitening results last?

Sometimes , straight after bleaching, the color will fade slightly but then and then stay level for approx 4-6 months.This color can usually be maintained with regular brushing and reapplication of the teeth whitening gel once or twice and month.

Q:Why is not recommended to bleach your teeth or use white strips when pregnant or nursing.

No detailed research has been done into bleaching teeth while nursing or pregnant, so makers for responsibility reasons recommend not bleaching at this time. All chemicals introduced in the body have potentially harmful effects on the baby so best advice is to avoid there useage.

Q: Will bleaching gel whiten my veneers, caps (crowns) bonding?

All bleaching agents used to bleach teeth will only work on natural tooth structure. All dental work including but not restricted to bonding, veneers, crowns ( caps ) and bridges won't bleach or lighten. Dental work would need to get replaced to match the recently whitened teeth.

Q:What brand of bleaching system/gel do dentists recommend?

To date there is not any objective research at the present time comparing the different tooth lightening systems used at home or in the dentist.

To some greater or lesser degree they all work, some bleaching gels just may work better for you or more importantly you may be more comfortable with the system used to deliver the bleaching agent.

All methods may all ultimately get you to the same bleaching plateau ( maximum bleaching ). Buit some will take far longer than others.

Some teeth lighten very well as others show minimal changes regardless of what product is used.

If you find a brand or strength which has worked for you in the past stick with it. If the brand or strength you choose gave disappointing results try another.

The choice of bleach agent is actually a personal one. Whiter teeth can actually enhance your appearance, and they can give you an impressive smile which helps improve confidence.

There are numerous methods to lighten teeth and tons of sites offer different teeth bleaching products. When looking online for teeth whiteners, you should be aware that they are trying to sell you a product.

One concern is some websites are selling a very strong bleaching agent saying it will bleach teeth faster. Whilst this is true it may also increase the risk of chemical burns.

You could if not careful finish up selecting a tooth lightener that may injure your teeth. You also have the choice of going to your dentist for laser treatment and is probably the most effective.

But laser teeth whitening treatment is a pricey procedure, and it's infrequently covered by insurance as it is deemed a cosmetic procedure.

Q: What is the shelf life and wearing time of bleaching gel?

The bleaching gel will keep a few weeks once opened if not exposed to air and kept out of the light. Otherwise peroxide will lose it's effectiveness.

Depending on the concentration of the bleaching agent the bleaching agent can be worn up to 8 hours in any one session if you notice any unpleasant tooth sensitivity or feel a burning sensation stop using the bleaching product immediately.

Q: What do the different bleaching percentages mean?

Carbamide peroxide is used by dental professional and at home people all around the world. Another popular teeth whitening chemical is hydrogen peroxide, which is similar to carbamide peroxide but has been around for over a century.

Teeth whiteners have been around for over a century but since the early 1990’s, teeth whitener kits have become a phenomenon that has continued to grow year on year.

Carbamide peroxide has become more popular for at home use since the late 20th century. There are many types of forms of carbamide peroxide.

Concentration levels for the carbamide peroxide vary from 10% to 36%. The most popular of the concentration levels are the 22% although some experts say this may be too strong.

This teeth whitener provides little to no sensitivity to the teeth while whitening the teeth at a good rate.

Most dentist would recommend a 10% concentration as this reduces the risk of tooth sensitivity or burning of the mouth area.

Q:Which bleaching gel works best i.e faster?

Dentists have been using teeth whitening gels to whiten teeth for decades.These teeth whitening gels are also called carbamade peroxide gels. In the past time periods, lime chloride was the main source for teeth whitening.

Nowadays, carbamide peroxide is the main source for teeth whitening. The new bleaching chemical, carbamide peroxide, removes the stains left on teeth within minutes after applied.

Q: How many bleaching syringes do I need to buy in order to whiten my teeth?

It depends on how your teeth are now, and how much you need/want to whiten your teeth. They are pretty inexpensive to buy, so you could just start with 2 and see how it goes. You don’t need to fill the trays so 2 syringes should be enough for several days or nights of whitening.

Like the other person said, you may experience some sensitivity to cold, etc, which will normally go away in a couple of days- but you don’t want to overdo it.

If you’ve never whitened before, you might not want to buy too many syringes at first, especially since you can always buy more if you need.

What is the difference between carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide gel bleaching gel?

There are 2 main bleaching ingredients. Carbamide peroxide (e.g. Opalescence, dentist.net, Nite white) and hydrogen peroxide (e.g. Day White, Zoom, and Nite White turbo).

Comparatively, a 7.5% hydrogen peroxide is equivalent to a 16% carbamide peroxide while a 9.5% hydrogen peroxide is equivalent to a 26% carbamide peroxide.

Carbamide peroxide actually breaks down into hydrogen peroxide.

Patients must wear Nite White for a longer period of time so that the carbamide can break down in to hydrogen peroxide, the active ingredient.

The only real difference for you is the wearing time. Nite White was first developed in a 10% solution to be used overnight, allowing time for the carbamide peroxide to breakdown into hydrogen peroxide. With the demand for a more effective bleaching agent, the 16% and 22% were launched. The 16% can also be used overnight while the 22% is used for 1 hour only.