Whitening teeth is something almost everyone considers at one point in his or her lifetime; with all the media attention on physical appearance, it’s difficult not to notice the color of your teeth when you smile in the mirror. The question is: Should you get your teeth whitened?
Whitening your teeth is not a simple process. It will require either many hours or many dollars, or it might require both. There are some health risks involved, so be sure you are willing and able to take those risks before you do so.
Whitening generally is done with over the counter products or by laser teeth whitening, which can be done at the dentist. Most of the products are made with a bleaching agent, which is applied to your teeth and left to sit for some time. This bleaching agent can cause gum irritation and tooth sensitivity.
Be sure you are willing to invest the time.
Over the counter teeth whitening products usually take about an hour a day for anywhere from 7 to 14 days to complete, and with most, you cannot do much else (no drinking anything, eating, etc.) for a time before, during, or after the treatment.
Do your teeth need to be whitened?
Whitening teeth is good when your teeth are seriously stained from things such as heavy, long term coffee drinking or splotchy leftover marks from braces, but there are quite a number of people who get a case of “white-orexia,” or, an obsession with getting their teeth whiter. Eventually, their teeth are so what that it looks strange and unnatural. If your teeth look normal/normal-white, then you don’t need your teeth whitened. It’s good to have whiter teeth, but remember that you can overdo it. Don’t.
Do you have sensitive gums or teeth?
If you do, you may find whitening uncomfortable or even unbearable. The sensitivity from whitening teeth usually only lasts around 24 to 48 hours, but some people can have permanent sensitivity. Although permanent sensitivity usually only occurs after very long periods of extremely intensive whitening (longer than a normal person who follows the directions on the products would experience), please note that it is always a possibility.
Some people have had good experiences with Sensodyne or other “made for sensitive teeth” toothpastes. If you have sensitive teeth and still want to try to use one of the teeth whitening products, then it is recommended you switch to a sensitive-teeth toothpaste shortly before you begin your whitening treatment and continue until shortly after it is completed.
In the end, the decision is really up to you. The best thing you can do, if you are considering using any of the teeth whitening products, is to educate yourself on the risks and benefits of each before using any. This website was made to aid in your decision making. Don’t whiten without reading the information here first.