It is important to understand that while dental whitening is a common cosmetic dentistry procedure, not everyone can safely get teeth whitening. When you schedule an appointment with the oral care practitioner at our Calgary clinic, she’ll ask you a series of questions. A thorough examination will also reveal the extent of the damage. Accordingly, the dentist will come up with a treatment program that works best for you. For instance:
If you’re aged 18 years and younger, the dentist may recommend that you wait. That’s because, at this age, the enamel is highly porous and the teeth have more dental pulp. Using chemicals can do more harm than good since they can cause tooth sensitivity and irritate the pulp.
Some patients don’t tolerate bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide very well. If your tissues are sensitive, it is advisable that you go for alternatives like carbamide peroxide that is not as strong as hydrogen peroxide. This kind of dental whitening is easily done at home. You’ll pour the liquid into bleaching trays and wear them for the recommended time.
In case you have intrinsic staining, conventional whitening procedures may not be for you. The dentist might suggest that you opt for treatments that will conceal the damage instead of repairing it. If bleaching agents don’t work, you might have to go for dental crowns or veneers.
Dentists typically advise pregnant and lactating patients to delay getting any non-essential dental treatment.
Oftentimes, patients are allergic to hydrogen peroxide and cannot get professional dental whitening. If you’re not sure that you could have an allergic reaction, the oral practitioner will likely conduct a test and suggest alternatives.