Tooth Whitening Problems

In 2013, new legislature was passed that made the use of hydrogen peroxide as a tooth whitening agent illegal. All products that contained hydrogen peroxide were to be removed immediately, and clinics were not to offer these treatments or face criminal charges. This happened because hydrogen peroxide is just too abrasive, and there were a lot of complications and damage from the use of this material, and from the products that used this material. Because of this ban, lay people and patients started to freak out about tooth whitening treatments, which is clearly understandable, and they view the current products containing carbamide, carbolic acid, ammonium and other peroxides with fear and disapproval.  Here is the list of things that can happen to you while you are getting your teeth cleaned, and why they happen as well.

Damaged teeth

Before you undergo any kind of tooth whitening treatment with any substance at all, you have to get all previous dental work done. This is because the materials used to remove plaque are quite abrasive, and you can really mess up vulnerable teeth, and further irritate already irritated tissue. This was, and still is, the biggest problem with at home whitening kits, and with cosmetic dentistries that do not rely on the help of dentists, but rather work only with dental hygienists, that they do not take this into consideration, and end up doing more harm than good because they missed a tiny problem.

Cracks and fissures

If you have any cracks, fissures, fractures on your teeth, or have broken teeth, do not, under any circumstances get a tooth whitening treatment. The materials used to whiten teeth are used for the outside only, and when the acidic contents come into contact with tooth pulp, nerves or other such tissue, the result will be devastating. You need to get all dental work done first, and get the cracks and bits where the pulp chamber is exposed sealed before you can begin a tooth whitening session. Sometimes the cracks or cavities may be so small that they may not be visible to you, but that does not mean that the gel cannot seep inside the tooth.

Irritated gums

If you have gingivitis, periodontitis or alveolitis, you need to wait until the bacterial infections have been cured before you use a tooth whitening session. This is because gums are already in a compromised and weakened condition when dealing with a bacterial infection, and abrasive chemicals,although do kill bacteria, will probably also further irritate the already troubled gums.