For the last three weeks I have been using an over the counter teeth whitening kit. I had not had any problems until today. Out of the blue, I had this zing of pain that lasted half a minute. It was on a tooth that had some dental bonding done a few years ago. Could that be the problem? Will the teeth whitening damage the bonding or is it just a matter of the bonding nearing the time it needs to be replaced?
Avery
Dear Avery,
Professional Teeth Whitening Trays
I do not believe that the teeth whitening is damaging the bond. If it did, the repair would just fall off. It would not cause pain the way you are experiencing. The pain tells me you have a sensitive part of the tooth. It may be that the dental bonding is not completely covering the area that it should be, either from age or from the beginning.
Hopefully, you are doing this under the supervision of a dentist. Either way, you need to be seen. Your dentist can put something over the sensitive area that will enable you to begin your whitening again without pain.
You should be aware that over the counter whitening will work, depending on which brand you purchased, but it will take significantly longer than professional teeth whitening done through your dentist. No matter which method you choose, however, the dental bonding itself will not whiten. Teeth whitening only bleaches natural tooth structure. If you are going significantly whiter than what your bonding is, you will want to replace it to match your teeth once you have reached the color you want.
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