I’ve been doing at-home teeth whitening for a bit and everything was going fine until a couple of days ago. I had a sudden sharp pain. It only lasts for a few seconds and then eases up. It always happens right where I have some old dental bonding done. Does this mean the whitening is weakening the bonding?
Barry
Dear Barry,
I don’t think your teeth whitening is damaging the bonding. Teeth whitening has always been safe for bonded teeth. My suspicion is you have some old bonding that came off and there is an exposed part of the tooth there.
Hopefully, you are under the care of a dentist while doing your teeth whitening. That is important, especially for when these unexpected complications happen. In your position, I would simply ask your dentist to look over the bonding and see if there is an exposed bit. He or she can cover it back with some bonding.
I want to make sure you are aware of the limitations of teeth whitening. Hopefully, your dentist let you know that, while your bonding will not be damaged by the teeth whitening, it will not whiten the bonding either. Once you reach the level of whiteness you want for your teeth, give it a week for the color to settle and then have your dentist re-do your dental bonding to match the new color.
I’m also going to suggest that you invest in some Supersmile Toothpaste. It is the best toothpaste for keeping teeth white and is specifically designed for people who’ve had dental work done on their smiles. Unlike almost all whitening toothpaste, it has no abrasives at all.
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