Wondering what foods are ok with braces? Here is your ultimate list of braces approved foods and which foods to avoid during your orthodontic treatment.
One of the most common complaints patients have is that they wish their teeth were whiter. Because of Hollywood, social media and the internet in general, we are all obsessed with how we look; and where do strangers look at first? YOUR SMILE! We’ve covered this in a previous post, and whiter teeth are one of the top five reasons why beautiful smiles are beautiful. Which means we need to answer the age-old question: But doesn’t tooth whitening damage your teeth?
First, let’s cover what whitening agent is and what it’s made of. Whitening agents that are used by dental professionals have something called “peroxide” in it. Peroxide is the generic term for a substance that destroys organic matter; organic matter is basically everything that is alive (which includes gums, lips/cheeks and food/pigments that are stuck to our teeth. In most cases, the dental professional will guard gums and facial tissues from the whitening agent, so that the peroxide only gets in contact with the front surface of the teeth, where only the pigments (scientific word: chromagens) exist. The peroxides come in contact with these chromagens which are then eliminated by breaking down the bonds that hold them together. That’s it. There is no other special requirement and no other aspect to tooth whitening. The only difference between in-office and at-home whitening? The strength of the whitening agent. SPOILER ALERT: in-office whitening is stronger.
NOTE: NO MENTION OF A BRIGHT BLUE LIGHT. This is because the light does nothing and never has. This is a gimmick and if your dentist says it’s necessary, just know that there is no evidence in scientific literature stating that.
So, what do you need to know?
Any action has a reaction and any medical procedure brings some risk with it. Dental tooth whitening has been a source of fear for many patients who are worried about irreversible damage caused to teeth. In excess, anything will cause damage. So, when it comes to tooth whitening, just do it once or twice a year at most. In moderation, all symptoms/side-effects will be minimal. For those worried about tooth sensitivity, take some Tylenol (better than Advil in this case) before your dental appointment to avoid immediate tooth sensitivity. If you are not sure about how much you can handle, opt for less whitening to be safe. And as a rule, don’t let the dental professional apply whitening to a tooth or area of a tooth that has fillings. If you follow these guidelines, you have nothing to fear from a dental tooth whitening!
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