Tooth Bleaching At Home: Four Ways To Stop Sensitivity

You're a tough-minded individual—a straight shooter. You've been described as spirited and boisterous. So when you found your teeth to be sensitive to your teeth whitening treatment — you were surprised. It's all good. Your teeth sensitivity isn't connected to your personality. Nope. Teeth bleaching at home can yield amazing results. But can also cause some sensitivity. Fortunately, there's a handful of things you can do to reduce your sensitivity and still have that same outgoing personality.

1) Take Care When Brushing

This to-do is pretty simple. Do brush before you begin a whitening treatment. Do not brush after a treatment. Brushing after you remove your strips or tooth whitening agent of choice will only irritate your teeth. A soft-bristled toothbrush can help if you must brush afterward.

2) Opt for Toothpaste

Sometimes, the best way to prevent tooth sensitivity from white strips or trays may involve trying a different treatment. Strips and trays have a pretty high concentration of hydrogen peroxide that can lead to sensitivity. Give whitening toothpaste a try. Most whitening toothpaste helps brighten your teeth, is more cost-effective, and won't create the level of sensitivity as strips or trays.

3) Follow the Instructions

Growing up, our parents always told us to read the directions. Well, you're all grown up now, so hopefully, that advice has stuck. If you're whitening your teeth at home but not using the whitening products correctly as directed, that's a problem. Keeping the whitening product on your teeth longer results in — you guessed it — sensitivity. And you'll notice most whitening treatments are designed for multiple days or weeks. So when you whiten, it's for brief periods here and there. Which, again, means less sensitivity.

4) Avoid Certain Foods

When you add teeth whitening to the equation, a good amount of caution with those types of food and drink is your answer to avoiding sensitivity. The sensitivity may diminish with time and using a sensitivity product may help to relieve sensitivity associated with foods and beverages.

It's your call on how you decide to whiten your teeth. Good oral hygiene and implementing some new habits is one way to go. Over-the-counter products are another. If you find your whitening choice is causing sensitivity, these tips may help. A checkup with your dentist is always recommended. Plus, they can confirm your tooth sensitivity is, in fact, not linked to your lively personality.