Baton Rouge Dentist

Archives for July 2020

Will Rinsing My Mouth with Peroxide Whiten My Teeth?

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I’ve read online about hydrogen peroxide for whitening teeth. One suggestion is to dip a Q-tip in peroxide and rub it on my teeth. Can I just buy 3% hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore and swish it around in my mouth for mild whitening? Thanks – Dana from MS

Dana,

Whitening agents work by soaking into your teeth for at least fifteen minutes. Swishing around peroxide won’t give you the same effects.

The concentration of peroxide in Crest Whitestrips is 5% or 6%. The instructions are to wear the whitestrips 30 minutes a day for two weeks. Even after two weeks, the whitening is very mild.

Does Rinsing Your Mouth with Peroxide Whiten Teeth?

If you use 3% hydrogen peroxide to rinse your mouth, it may very mildly when your teeth. The peroxide is half the strength of whitestrips so that the results will be even milder, and the peroxide won’t stay in contact with your teeth to penetrate them. The effects will be super mild.

Beware of Extended Oral Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide kills harmful bacteria in your mouth, as well as beneficial microbes. If you rinse with hydrogen peroxide for an extended period—let’s say two weeks, it can be harmful. As the peroxide kills good microbes, the harmful micro-organisms, including candida albicans, will thrive. And you can contract an oral yeast infection that makes your mouth raw and sore.

Why Does Teeth Whitening from a Dentist Work?

Custom made trays hold the bleaching gel in place.
Custom trays with professional-strength teeth whitening gel break down stains

Tooth discoloration is usually deep with a tooth. Tooth enamel is translucent, so most of the color in your teeth comes from dentin—the layer beneath the enamel. The objective is for bleaching gel to penetrate the enamel and whiten dentin.

The whitening treatment that you receive from the dentist requires custom bleaching trays. You’ll wear the trays for a couple of hours or overnight, so the bleaching gel deeply penetrates your teeth and breaks down stains.

We recommend speaking with your dentist about how to make teeth whitening affordable for you. You’ll get safe, predictable results.

Ryan Perry, DDS, of Baton Rouge, sponsors this post.

 

Salty Taste in Your Mouth from Porcelain Veneers? Four Possible Causes

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After visiting three cosmetic dentists for porcelain veneers, I chose one for her skill and her payment options to make my veneers affordable for me. I was so excited to get the veneers in early March. They look great and fit well on my teeth. In mid-May, I began to have a salty taste in my mouth. I sense it daily, and I’ve never had this happen before I received porcelain veneers. Is there something about porcelain veneers that might leave a salty taste in my mouth? Maybe I should have chosen the #2 dentist on my list. Thanks. Jonah

Jonah,

Standard porcelain veneer placement doesn’t leave a salty taste in your mouth. What you’ve described about your dentist and the fact that you’re pleased with your porcelain veneers’ look sounds like she gave you a fabulous smile makeover. The salty taste in your mouth isn’t related to your cosmetic dentist’s affordable treatment.

Causes of Bad Taste or Odor After Porcelain Veneers

Although a cosmetic dentist can provide affordable work, you can still get quality results

A bad taste—not necessarily salty—can result after porcelain veneers in these cases:

  • Excess cement left after the bonding process – The excess will prevent you from thoroughly flossing between your teeth. Food particles breed bacteria, promote decay, and lead to a bad taste and odor.
  • Space between the veneer and your gums – Bacteria can leak behind the veneers and cause a bad taste in your mouth.
  • Infection – Improperly placed veneers can lead to gum inflammation and gum disease, which can affect the taste in your mouth.

But an advanced cosmetic dentist has post-graduate training in cosmetic dentistry and can prevent the above issues with porcelain veneers. Again, it doesn’t sound like your dentist—or your porcelain veneers—are the cause of the salty taste.

What Can Cause a Salty Taste in Your Mouth?

But if the taste is your mouth is salty, what might be the cause?

A June 2019 article from Harvard Men’s Watch Health lists the following culprits:

  1. Medication – Certain prescription medications can make your taste buds more sensitive to salt.
  2. Excessive tearing in your eyes – As tears drain into your lower eyelids’ ducts, into your nose, and down the back of your throat, you can taste the saltiness of the tears.
  3. Salivary gland dysfunction – A reduction of saliva in your mouth can leave a salty taste.
  4. Acid reflux – The flow of acid from your stomach and into your mouth can cause a bitter, sour, or salty taste.

Talk with your dentist and your primary care doctor about the salty taste in your mouth. They can help identify possible causes and determine if it’s a health concern that needs treatment.

Ryan Perry, DDS, of Baton Rouge sponsors this post.