Dangers of Teeth Whitening | Belvedere Family Dentistry & Orthodontics | Charlotte, NC (2024)

A popular cosmetic procedure, teeth whitening can go a long way in helping people get whiter and better smiles. It makes the teeth look healthier and pristine and even boosts people's confidence, making them smile and laugh more and enjoy the big and little things in life. But as with all things, you need to know about all the aspects of teeth whitening and be aware of the risks before getting your teeth whitened as teeth whitening involves the use of strong chemicals.

Some dangers of teeth whitening include -

• Irritation and discomfort in the gums, tongue and other oral muscles due to the chemicals used for whitening teeth. The chemicals may also lead the teeth to become even more sensitive to changes in temperature and thereby causing pain.
• The chemicals causing stomach ache, nausea and other digestive problems if swallowed. If teeth whitening chemicals are swallowed by pregnant women, it may cause issues with the teeth of the unborn child.
• Some dental whitening procedures may also lead to blistering and burning of the lips and can even cause tooth damage and tooth decay if used incorrectly.

The chemical which is majorly used for tooth whitening is hydrogen peroxide. Other peroxides such as carbamide peroxides may also be used. Peroxides, in general are strong chemicals and if used without care and in improper quantities may lead to oral ailments. These oral ailments include burns, sores and even ulcers in the soft tissues of the mouth. Generally the most common side effect of teeth whitening, the amount of discomfort and pain is dependent on your tissues’ sensitivity as well as the concentration and potency of the chemicals used. Over-the-counter teeth whitening products can also lead to major damage if used incorrectly, as is often the case. While the sores do heal over a period of few days, some may take even weeks to recover. The best course of action to avoid these sores and burns is to make sure the products being used are FDA or ADA certified.

Tooth sensitivity is also a big issue which occurs due to teeth whitening. The tooth becomes sensitive to temperature changes due to the tooth enamel getting worn out due to the chemical used for teeth whitening. Although this sensitivity goes away within a week, some people may suffer due to increased sensitivity to external stimuli. The discomfort associated with sensitivity can be removed by using painkillers or specialized toothpaste or dental creams made to relieve sensitivity and lessen irritation. You may also want to hold off from eating too hot or too cold food items during this period.

Home remedies, while sounding tame, also has a plethora of side effects. It is said that the majority of complications arising from teeth whitening is due to the improper use of home remedies without proper supervision or guidelines. Some home remedies for teeth whitening are quite abrasive, for example, baking soda, and can cause a host of oral and dental issues. Some fruit acids used for teeth whitening can also increase the risk of teeth having cavities.

Overall, it can be said that teeth whitening is a safe process when performed by skilled personnel, or in this case, dentists, as they know the limits as well as can help you even better in getting whiter teeth. The dentists are Belvedere Family Dentistry are well accustomed to teeth whitening procedures and have helped a large number of their patients in the procedure as well as other dental procedures.