Will Teeth Whitening Make My Teeth Sensitive?

Professional teeth whitening can take your smile from dull to glam. You might be surprised at just how big of a difference boosting your teeth a few shades whiter can make on the overall appearance of your smile. When consulting patients on teeth whitening treatments, we often get asked whether or not the procedure will make their teeth sensitive afterward. Here’s what you need to know!

Risk of Teeth Sensitivity

To understand the risk of teeth sensitivity with professional whitening, it’s first important to have a basic understanding of how the treatment works. During a teeth whitening treatment, the active whitening agents permeate into the top two layers of your teeth, the enamel and dentin, to remove stains. When this happens, the microtubules in the dentin layer that are connected to the sensitive nerves in the innermost portion of your tooth can become agitated. As such, it’s common to experience temporary teeth sensitivity after a whitening treatment.

The good news is that if this sensitivity occurs, it’s only temporary. After a couple of days, you shouldn’t notice the discomfort anymore. Another way to minimize the chance of tooth sensitivity is to leave your teeth whitening in the hands of a trusted dental professional so you don’t risk damaging your tooth enamel.

Less Sensitivity with KöR Whitening

Different teeth whitening options will have different likelihoods for tooth sensitivity occurring. For example, KöR Whitening is known to cause less tooth sensitivity thanks to its high-tech system, which includes a desensitizer and refrigerated gel. If you already have sensitive teeth or you’re worried about tooth sensitivity, it’s worth considering KöR Whitening.

At Ballston Dental Care, we are proud to provide KöR teeth whitening. We invite you to schedule a teeth whitening consultation at our practice in Arlington if you’d like to learn more. Just call or email us today to set up your appointment!