Is Teeth Whitening Safe?

A physically attractive face is most often associated with clean, shiny white teeth. A lot of us desire to be more physically good looking and having whiter teeth is one of the most important factors in which to consider. As there are a lot of teeth whitening products and procedures in the market offered by professionals, aside from the various ways of doing it naturally, the question is: Is teeth whitening safe for you?

As with many medical procedures, though dental work is hardly major, one should always consult with their dental expert before engaging in activities such as teeth whitening. Since degrees of teeth whitening varies in different people due to different conditions and circumstances, the advice of a dentist might prove valuable in knowing which type of procedure or method is most appropriate. It is your duty to know facts and procedures to make your teeth whitening safe and reliable.

Extensive research and clinical studies indicate that whitening teeth with oxygen-releasing gel, under supervision, is safe for teeth and gums. It will not affect teeth structure, enamel, fillings or restorations.

Some people may experience temporary teeth sensitivity during the treatment. These symptoms always disappear within 1-2 days of interruption or completion of the treatment. The dentist will apply a desensitizer to help reduce this further and you can use a a special toothpaste to assist with teeth sensitivity also.

Anyone can have teeth whitening done unless you are pregnant or allergic to the whitening gel. If you have dental crowns, bridges or veneers teeth whitening is not suitable for you as porcelain does not whiten.

Some concern has been shown in the medical and consumer communities about the risk of bleaching teeth that the agents used may cause cancer. However, studies have shown that the concentration of carbamide peroxide in teeth whitening products does not cause cancer in mouth tissue or gums. In fact, there is an agent in saliva that seems to offset the amount of peroxide given off by the teeth whitening agents.

Concern and attention has also been given to the fear of bleaching agents causing a tooth enamel to wear off or be damaged. Medical experts actually say that more damage is done to a tooth’s enamel by soft drinks or fruit juices than tooth whitening bleach.

The topic of nerve endings being affected by teeth whitening is still in its early stages since this can be studied only in longer intervals like 5 to 8 years after the teeth whitening procedure. In spite of this hurdle, there is still little damage being shown to teeth that have undergone whitening especially for those patients that have had consistent follow-up visits after the process.

Nevertheless, safer teeth whitening can be performed correctly with minimal removal of the protective enamel from your teeth. In the past, older tooth whitening products tended to use abrasive agents such as polishing toothpastes to scrape away unsightly stains and enamel. However, these are obsolete, unsafe teeth treatments that did more harm than good. It is more difficult to restore and remineralize the materials in our teeth than to be careful about what products you are using on your teeth.

Gentle and safe teeth whitening treatments are formulated to be gentle and safe. If the bleaching gel is left on your teeth beyond the maximum time allowed or you choose to bleach your teeth after every meal instead of adhering to the recommended usage of once every day, you risk damaging your teeth enamel, developing cavities and sensitive teeth.

Teeth whitening is perfectly safe, especially under the supervision of a dentist or orthodontist, for people over the age of 13 who have no tooth decay and who are not pregnant. You can whiten teeth safely by making sure to visit a dentist for regular check-ups.

Dental Care Involves The Dentist

Even if you say you care for your teeth well, you still cannot escape the fact that you still have to visit your dentist at least twice a year. Sure, it’s not really fun to go to the dentist, but if you really want to achieve the best personal dental care for your teeth, regular visits to the dentist would be helpful.

What Happens in a Typical Visit to the Dentist?

Go to the dentist every six months, is considered more as prevention against cavities, plaque accumulation on your teeth and other problems related to your mouth. The goal is the prevention of dental diseases, caries and other diseases that place the health of your teeth and mouth at risk.

An informal consultation with a dentist usually consist of three parts: a medical and dental history (this is where the dentist will ask questions about your past dental care and dental check-ups), dental examination and professional cleaning (oral prophylaxis).

The dentist will examine your gums, teeth and other tissues regarding the mouth. The joints in your jaws may also be included in the exam as a means to check the overall health of your mouth.

Dentists often use a probe and a mirror to check the crown (the visible portion) of each tooth to test for looseness, decay or plaque. The dentist can also check the quality of your bite and how your teeth fit together.

After checking your teeth, the dentist usually proceed to consider the overall condition of the gums. Healthy gums are pink and firm – not bloated, swollen or tender. If the dentist finds deep depressions (or pockets),  the patient may be suspected of having gum disease.  When the dentist is finished examining the visible parts of the mouth and teeth, X-rays are taken that may  reveal abscesses, cavities in the teeth or impacted wisdom teeth.

Abscesses should be treated immediately because it is a collection of pus surrounded by swollen tissue. If not treated immediately, an abscess can be a source of further complications.

Professional cleaning is better than just normal tooth brushing because it is designed to remove hard deposits using a scraping instrument called a scaler.  Apart from a scaler, an ultrasound machine can also be used by the dentist, which uses high-frequency sound waves to facilitate the relaxation of plaque deposits.

After cleaning, the majority of dental hygienists polish the teeth. Polishing of the teeth clean and soften the surfaces of the teeth, assists in removing stains and help make the teeth more resistant to the build-up of plaque.

There are some dental hygiene package, which consists of applying fluoride compound or sealant to help prevent or delay tooth decay.

Going To The Dentist Is Not So Bad After All

Now that you are aware of what happens during a trip to the dentist, you probably think that a trip to the dentist is not so bad, right? If you wish to promote dental care, you should be the first to take the initiative by going to the dentist.

You cannot get the best personal dental care if you only depend on your own methods and routine. Dentists are equipped with dental instruments, machines and other equipment that will undoubtedly make your teeth and mouth clean, fresher and better.

Why You Need To Visit The Dentist

If you think that brushing and flossing alone is enough to keep your teeth and mouth clean and healthy, think again. If you think that you can manage to have a clean and healthy mouth without the help of a dentist, then what are dentists here for?

Dentists play a big part in managing the personal dental care of individuals. Dentists check your teeth and mouth for signs of cavities and gum disease.

They will also help you maintain extra clean teeth and they will also teach you the proper ways of brushing and flossing. They can even demonstrate it to you so that you can really see how it is done.

Be Careful Of What You Eat And Drink Dentists would also give you important advices related to teeth and mouth care. Perhaps one of the most common advices that dentists give their patients is to be careful with what they eat and drink.

Eating and drinking sugary stuffs such as candies, cakes and soda can attract a lot of plaque to stick to your teeth. If you want to have healthy teeth, do try to eat more fruits and vegetables and drink more water than soda.

More Than Sprays And Breath Mints The world is full of instant solutions and shortcuts and dental care is not exempted from the variety of instant solutions.

A lot of breath mints and breath fresheners are available in the market today, offering instant fresh breath to individuals who are perhaps too busy to spend at least three minutes to brush their teeth.

If you are one of the many people who are seeking the aid of breath mints and breath sprays to give you fresh breath, you might want to change your approach to personal dental care because it will just do you more harm than good.

Aside from the fact that breath mints and breath sprays can’t really rid your teeth and mouth of minute pieces of food debris, they are also not good for long term use.

The truth is, breath mints and breath freshener sprays are only good at masking mouth odors.

Sure, they can give you instant fresh breath that can probably last for a few hours, but when you look at your mouth through a microscope, you will really be disgusted and appalled by all the bacteria and food debris that can be found in your mouth and in between
your teeth.

Brushing:

Simplest Yet Most Essential Brushing one’s teeth may seem to be the simplest and most basic part of personal dental care but it is one of the most needed things to do to achieve clean and healthy teeth.

You see, in order for you to prevent cavities, you need to brush off the plaque stuck in your teeth brought about by the food and beverages that you ate and drank.

Brushing regularly can also save you a lot of unwanted trips to the dentist. Remember, breath mints and breath freshener sprays won’t help in getting rid of the bacteria that causes plaque to build up in your teeth.

If you want to have a nice set of teeth without having to undergo awful toothaches and bad breath, take the extra mile to spend time for your personal dental care routine.