How Whitening Toothpastes Can Cause Sensitivity

How Whitening Toothpastes Can Cause Sensitivity

By Mina Levi, DDS, 08/06/2015

Whitening your teeth can be done in the dental office with Zoom whitening or custom take-home whitening trays, or you can use home whitening products such as whitening toothpaste or mouthwash. Although you will be warned of possible sensitivity when you have your teeth whitened at the dental office, the warnings for whitening toothpaste are not so clear sometimes. In this week’s article, San Francisco dentist Mina Levi, DDStalks about how whitening toothpastes can cause sensitivity and why.

Bleaching products contain peroxides (similar to the hydrogen peroxide you have at home) to help remove deep and surface stains from the teeth. Whitening toothpastes are called dentifrices, which have chemical agents that are designed to remove surface stains through chemical chelation or polishing, rather than via bleaching.

 Some of the abrasive factors found in whitening toothpastes that are great at removing stains also open up pores in the enamel when used for an extended period of time and can cause tooth sensitivity.

To avoid sensitivity when using whitening toothpaste, use a sensitive whitening toothpaste like Sensodyne, or switch from whitening toothpaste to regular toothpaste periodically.

If you are having tooth sensitivity after using whitening toothpaste or have questions about different teeth whitening procedures in the dental office, visit San Francisco dentist Mina Levi, DDS on the web at www.minalevidds.com or give us a call at (415) 513-5066.

Topics: San Francisco dentist, San Francisco cosmetic dentist, teeth whitening San Francisco, teeth whitening, whitening toothpaste, whitening toothpaste sensitivity, sensitivity after using toothpaste, tooth sensitivity, toothpaste sensitivity