Most whitening procedures - whether in a dentist's office or in a home whitening kit - use a version of a peroxide to bleach the teeth white.
The whitening agent, in the form of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, is caustic.
In high concentrations it can cause irritation to the gums or various other soft tissues of the mouth if it is permitted to come directly into contact with them.
The hydrogen peroxide can also cause the teeth to be sensitive to hot or cold food, although this last consequence is often short lived.
Luckily, the home whitening packages have relatively low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.
This is intended to avoid caustic side effects.
The trade-off is that they could take several weeks to produce any visible whitening result.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has carried out research on the safety of the peroxide based home teeth whitening methods.
They've found that these methods remain both safe and effective.
Some of the most generally discovered negative effects cited in the study are tooth sensitivity and soreness to the gums and other soft oral cavity tissue.
They observed that many of these infrequent unwanted effects were short-term and subsided after the procedure.
Moreover they discovered that much of the gum soreness may have been due to the mouth trays employed to deliver the hydrogen peroxide and not through the hydrogen peroxide itself.
The peroxide formula employed in dental offices is usually a greater concentration, however the dental professional will probably take particular safeguards to stop the whitening agent from producing severe side effects.
For example, a dental dam will often be employed to prevent the peroxide from coming into contact with the gums.
Additionally, the dentist will often conclude the procedure with a fluoride treatment to reinforce the teeth against temperature sensitivity.
If you are planning to use one of the home whitening kits, you are encouraged to consult with your dentist about potential side effects, and methods to protect the teeth.
The whitening agent, in the form of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, is caustic.
In high concentrations it can cause irritation to the gums or various other soft tissues of the mouth if it is permitted to come directly into contact with them.
The hydrogen peroxide can also cause the teeth to be sensitive to hot or cold food, although this last consequence is often short lived.
Luckily, the home whitening packages have relatively low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.
This is intended to avoid caustic side effects.
The trade-off is that they could take several weeks to produce any visible whitening result.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has carried out research on the safety of the peroxide based home teeth whitening methods.
They've found that these methods remain both safe and effective.
Some of the most generally discovered negative effects cited in the study are tooth sensitivity and soreness to the gums and other soft oral cavity tissue.
They observed that many of these infrequent unwanted effects were short-term and subsided after the procedure.
Moreover they discovered that much of the gum soreness may have been due to the mouth trays employed to deliver the hydrogen peroxide and not through the hydrogen peroxide itself.
The peroxide formula employed in dental offices is usually a greater concentration, however the dental professional will probably take particular safeguards to stop the whitening agent from producing severe side effects.
For example, a dental dam will often be employed to prevent the peroxide from coming into contact with the gums.
Additionally, the dentist will often conclude the procedure with a fluoride treatment to reinforce the teeth against temperature sensitivity.
If you are planning to use one of the home whitening kits, you are encouraged to consult with your dentist about potential side effects, and methods to protect the teeth.
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