Is Teeth Whitening Safe?
 |
Why do Teeth Get Discolored?
While the enamel of your teeth appears smooth, it actually isn’t. Viewed under a microscope, the surface of your teeth has a honeycombed appearance. Teeth are covered in tiny tube-like structures, which over time absorb the stains in the food and drink we consume. This results in discoloring of our teeth that no amount of brushing can remove. Teeth whitening has become increasingly popular over recent years to reverse this natural process.
How does Teeth Whitening Work?
The original teeth whiteners were abrasive. These did damage the enamel of teeth, just as any type of cleaner that is an abrasive removes the top layer of a surface in order to clean it. The teeth whitening agents used today are chemicals. They react with the stains in our teeth, and do not erode the enamel. So, using today’s teeth whitening systems, as long as they are used correctly, is not going to damage the enamel of our teeth.
Tooth Sensitivity
One of the things that has caused people to question the safety of getting your teeth whitened, is the fact that teeth whitening can temporarily increase teeth sensitivity. This happens because the bleaching chemicals used to whiten teeth open up the tiny tube structures in the tooth enamel in order to react with the stains. For the time that these tubes are open, which is during and for up to a couple of weeks after whitening, your teeth will be more sensitive. This is temporary, and the degree of sensitivity varies from person to person.
So it’s safe to go ahead with whitening your teeth, you’ll just need to choose which method is right for you, and accept the fact that for some people, a temporary increase in tooth sensitivity is a side effect of achieving white teeth.
