Nowadays the option of teeth whitening is not a magic or luxury. It’s an average procedure available to anyone. The opportunities for a smile makeover that the cosmetic dentistry offers are truly fascinating. You can literally turn even the most badly damaged teeth into a smile of a Hollywood star.

Speaking about teeth whitening, there are many ways to do it. You can do it in a dentist’s office or even at home. The whitening effect is based on the action of chemicals. But what to do if your enamel is hypersensitive? People with such condition are often afraid that it will only increase their discomfort or even damage their teeth.

How to Whiten Hypersensitive Teeth

Well, there are different types of whitening options and individual cases. No one can tell you for sure how you will feel except your dentist who knows all your unique dental issues. But there are some specialties about whitening of hypersensitive teeth that everyone with this condition should know.

Hypersensitivity is not a norm

In most cases, the increased sensitivity of teeth is caused by disease or poor care. There may be cracked enamel, caries or periodontal disease. If the disease is diagnosed and treated, usually a problem of hypersensitivity disappears quite quickly.

If the problem was caused by poor care (aggressive brushing, biting things, etc.) or food choices (large amounts of sour fruits, biting hard nuts), the change of habits may also be enough to solve the problem. Of course, the result should be approved by your doctor.

The cases of inborn dental hypersensitivity are very few. In this case, teeth whitening is totally not an option, but it’s a very rare case (mostly genetically predetermined). Your dentist will help you discover the true cause of your teeth’ hypersensitivity.

You should be prepared

Before the procedure of in-office teeth whitening, you should get your teeth prepared. Special toothpaste and gels will be very helpful in reducing the sensitivity of your teeth. Also, there is a special facilitative diet. Any food that can damage dental enamel should be avoided. Your doctor will tell you what products are allowed.

You won’t have anesthesia

Why? Because your sensations are important. The specialist needs to be aware if something goes wrong. Under anesthesia, it will be easy to do real harm to hypersensitive teeth without noticing it.

You should be very careful with whitening at home

There are two ways to whiten teeth at home - whitening mouth guards with a special gel and bleaching strips. The first method should be supervised by your dentist who can regulate the amount of time you spend with that mouth guard. With strips, you have certain risks for your hypersensitive teeth, so you should use them carefully or prefer an in-office procedure.

As you can see, whitening of hypersensitive teeth is possible, if you and your dentist are careful enough. Information about the harm of the whitening procedure is exaggerated. Practically anything may bring harm if applied carelessly.  And the harm done to our teeth by poor diet and hygiene can’t even be compared with the most traumatic dental procedure.