Does your smile feel dull and lacking shine? You don’t need to settle for pearly whites that are anything less than white! There are various ways you can enhance the beautiful features of your smile and cover up flaws. Teeth whitening is one of the ways you can achieve this. However, it’s crucial that you have good oral health before you whiten your teeth. Read on to learn about the risks of teeth whitening when you have cavities and why you should always see your dentist for this type of treatment.
What Happens When You Whiten a Tooth with a Cavity?
When you have cavities, it isn’t a good idea to use a whitening kit. The bleaching agent that is used in most store-bought whitening treatments contains hydrogen peroxide. This substance is highly effective at removing stains from teeth, but it can also cause irritation to teeth that are sensitive. When there is a cavity present, the whitening agent can make contact with the sensitive inner layers of the tooth, causing significant pain. Ultimately, you need to have your teeth examined beforehand to ensure that you don’t have any existing decay, cracks, or other damage to your smile that could get in the way of the whitening process. Minor cavities and cracks can cause little to no symptoms and may not become apparent until after you start whitening your teeth, so undergoing an examination by your dentist is very important.
How Can Professional Teeth Whitening Help?
You can brighten your smile many shades with professional teeth whitening from your dentist. In addition to seeing much better results, your dentist will examine your smile to ensure that you don’t have any existing issues before your treatment.
If you opt for professional at-home teeth whitening, your dentist will make impressions of your teeth and provide you with custom-made whitening trays that fit your mouth perfectly. This way, they are comfortable and allow for even whitening. In addition to the customized trays, a professional whitening gel is provided. This agent is stronger than anything you can find over the counter. In just a couple of weeks, you will see dramatic results!
For quicker, dramatic results, in-office teeth whitening is also an option. Your dentist will use a professional strength whitening gel to remove even the most stubborn stains, in about an hour.
Don’t put your smile at risk! By choosing professional teeth whitening, you can avoid the risk of accidentally whitening a tooth with a cavity. This can help you save a lot of discomfort and see beautiful results!
About the Practice
At Washington Dental Care West Loop, Dr. Peter Hammes and Dr. Kakar work together to treat patients in West Loop Chicago. If you are interested in teeth whitening, they would be happy to help with their in-office and at-home professional treat whitening treatments. To learn more about teeth whitening or to schedule an appointment, visit their website or call (312) 766-5412.
