Baton Rouge Dentist

Bleach my teeth with bleach

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I want my teeth whitened. I was saving up for a dentist, but my roommate says we can just use laundry bleach and cotton balls.  That doesn’t sound right to me. If people could just use bleach, why would anyone go to the dentist for teeth whitening?

Amelia J. – Berkeley, CA

Amelia,

You were wise to check.  Your roommate is making a foolish and dangerous choice. It is not household bleach that whitens your teeth.  Your dentist would never use laundry bleach, becuase he knows it is corrosive. If you or your roommate were to put any in your mouth, it would  damage  your oral cavities soft tissues.

Besides causing damage to your tissue in your mouth it also will harm your teeth. Bleach can remove moisture from your teeth. Without moisture, your teeth weaken and  become brittle, making them more sensitive.

Additionally, bleach is a poison. There is a toxic chemicals in bleach called sodium hypochorite. Even small amounts of sodium hypocrite an cause problems if you  swallow it, causing both vomiting and stomach irritation. If larger amounts are swallowed, then poisoning develops causing heart issues, coma, shock, and even death.

The best way for you to get your teeth whitened is to go the dentist’s office. Many dentists have two option for whitening for patients: in office or at-home.  You can decide which one fits your schedule and budget.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

My teeth went gray with whitening

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I enjoy bleaching my teeth and do it at least once a month since my “official” bleaching treatments ended. My dentist let me keep my trays. Now, for some reason, my gums are receding and the edges of my teeth are gray. Did I get some bad bleach?

Gina D. – Alabama

Gina,

The issue isn’t a problem with the bleach, but with over bleaching your teeth. It really is possible to have too much of a good thing. In this case it is bleach. When the whitening agent is overused, it will not only cause your gums to recede, but can also make your teeth quite brittle. Another consequence is the edges of your teeth becoming gray or translucent.  This sounds exactly like what is going on with you.

It will be very important that you remineralize your teeth. You also need to stop teeth whitening for quite some time.  I’m rather frustrated that your dentist didn’t warn you about this. I’m assuming, of course, that he provided the bleaching gels to you as you ran out. He’d know how much you were using.

To remineralize your teeth get a toothpaste like Sensodyne pro enamel.  You’ll also want to get in and see your dentist. He can tell you how much damage has been done.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

My dentist says my teeth are too far gone for teeth whitening

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I have stains on my teeth from medicine I took as a child. My dentist said because of that I’ll need to get porcelain veneers. That my teeth are too dark for teeth whitening. Porcelain veneers are much more expensive than teeth whitening. I am tired of my dark teeth, but is that really my only option?

Nicole K. – Detroit, MI

Nicole,

I suspect you have stains from tetracycline. They do tend to make the teeth so dark that it is hard to repair them.  I am suspect of your dentist’s advice though. As difficult it is to get your teeth to whiten with tetracycline stains, it is more difficult to get them to look natural with porcelain veneers.

If you don’t want to spend that much money, I would ask him to try the teeth whitening first. Some dentists have had remarkable success, experimenting with different brands and systems.

Because of the depth of the stains a cosmetic dentist has to strike a delicate balance.  You need them to be opaque enough to cover the stains, but not so opaque that they lose the translucent look of natural teeth.

I’d have to be confident that your dentist was an expert in the cosmetic field. He would need significant post-graduate training in porcelain veneers with a great eye for artistry. Ask him how many tetracycline cases he has done and ask to see the results.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

My dentist says I can’t whiten my teeth

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I got porcelain veneers on six of my teeth, but you can see my other teeth do not quite match them. I wanted to whiten them to make the veneers and the teeth match, but he said you can’t whiten with veneers. What can I do?

Andrea M. – Franklin, TN

Andrea,

I want to make sure you understood your dentist correctly.  He is right you cannot whiten veneers, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot whiten your other teeth.  If he is telling you otherwise, then he doesn’t understand teeth whitening.

I will say I don’t think he understands porcelain veneers either. If you can see your other teeth, then he should have either had you whiten them to match your new veneers before they were placed, or he should have suggested you have at least eight veneers.

I suspect your dentist is just your average family dentist, and he doesn’t understand cosmetic dentistry. However, that being said, I would do take-home whitening until they are the color you are comfortable with.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Teeth whitening with a crown

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I want to get my teeth whitened, but I have two porcelain crowns. Will the whitening help the crowns or damage them?

Tammy L. – Georgia

Tammy,

Teeth whitening will do neither. It is completely ineffective on any type of cosmetic work.  I’m assuming your porcelain crowns match the current color of your teeth. If that is the case and you whiten them, your natural teeth will get whiter, but the porcelain crowns will remain darker.

Here is what you can do though. I would get your teeth whitened to the color you would be the most excited about. Then wait a couple of weeks and get new porcelain crowns to match your new white smile.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Porcelain veneers on just one arch

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I want to remake my smile and have decided on porcelain veneers. However, there is no way that I can afford to do both arches of teeth.  Is there some way I can do that without it looking like I have real teeth on bottom and fake teeth up top because of their difference?

Becky W. – Bryant, AR

Becky,

Yes, there is a very simple solution for that. I suggest before you get your porcelain veneers done, you have your teeth whitened to the shade that you are wanting for all your teeth.

After the teeth whitening procedure is done, give it about two weeks for the color to settle. Then you can get however many porcelain veneers you can afford.  The rest of your teeth will be a beautiful white color and not look like they come from a completely different mouth.

Teeth whitening is a lot less costly than veneers, so you should be able to do both procedures.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Whitening Crowns

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I had a dental crown put on over a tooth that was in bad shape and needed a lot of work. I was a little disappointed with how it looks. It’s a  little opaquey for my taste.  Is there anything I can do to brighten it? Will teeth whitening work?

Alishia D.- Greenville, South Carolina

Alishia,

Have you spoken to your dentist regarding how your feel about the crown? It sounds like it was put in pretty recently. If he hasn’t permanently bonded it, then he could send it back and try to get it to look like what you were expecting.

Because your describing it as opaque, I suspect your dentist placed a porcelain fused to metal crown. Those are definitely more opaque than the all-porcelain crowns because they have to be able to hide the metal foundation.

As far as using teeth whitening to improve their appearance, that won’t work.  Teeth Whitening, whether professional or over the counter, isn’t able to whiten any type of dental work. Your best bet is to have the rest of your teeth whitened, then have your dentist make a new all-porcelain crown (not fused to metal) that will match the new whiter color of your teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Ryan Perry.

Does Lemon Juice Work Well to Whiten Teeth?

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Recently, I read on a website that mixing lemon juice and baking soda and rubbing it on your teeth for a couple of weeks makes them whiter. I did this a couple of days ago and earlier today, I heard that lemon juice is really bad for your teeth and decays your enamel. I’ve only done it twice. When I made the mixture, I only had it on my teeth for a minute and then brushed my teeth regularly. After discovering this information about the bad effects of this mixture, I will not be whitening my teeth this way. Do you think I caused permanent damage to my teeth?

– Jane from Louisiana

Jane,
It’s good to hear that you did follow-up research on lemon juice and teeth whitening. Lemon juice is highly acidic and if used on teeth over time, causes erosion of the tooth enamel leading to tooth decay. Citric acid found in lemon juice is a powerful agent. Did you know it can be used to scour limescale from boilers and in a higher concentration form it removes hard water stains from glass without any scrubbing motion?

Citric acid is not only found in cleaning products but also soda. This is why your dentist or dental hygienist tells you to limit your intake of soda. Those who drink soda on a daily basis are more prone to tooth decay and tooth erosion.

It’s an important thing to remember to never brush your teeth within 30 minutes after consuming liquids or foods that contain citric acid as well as ascorbic acid which is also found in sodas. Teeth are attacked by the acid which causes the enamel and underlying layer dental to erode. When you brush right away, it can accelerate the process by pushing the acid further into the tooth layers. The best thing you can do is neutralize the acid in your mouth by drinking water after consuming acidic products.

If you want to whiten your teeth, it’s best to visit your dentist and see if you are a good candidate for teeth whitening. The best, safest, and most effective way to get a brighter smile is have a dental health professional take care of you.

To learn more, visit Dr. Ryan Perry’s website, Baton Rouge Family Dentist

Does Supersmile Toothpaste Come without Fluoride?

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I was told that Supersmile toothpaste is a great professional whitening toothpaste that helps with keeping teeth white. I want to know if Supersmile toothpaste comes without fluoride?
– Shelly from Louisiana

Shelley,
Supersmile toothpaste is a great product for keeping stains off your teeth. However, there is a small amount of fluoride in all Supersmile products.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral, and it’s next to impossible to avoid ingesting it. With toothpaste, you want to bathe your teeth briefly in a small amount of fluoride to help re-mineralize early decay spots. And you want to be sure to rinse and spit out the toothpaste. Fluoride is found in natural well water, canned juices, vegetables, milk and liquid products processed with water. In small amounts it’s okay but you want to avoid ingesting toothpaste.

To sum it up, you need not worry about the fluoride in Supersmile toothpaste as you will be brushing and rinsing your teeth and not swallowing the toothpaste.

This blog brought to you by Baton Rouge Family Dentist, Dr. Ryan P.Perry

I brush my teeth three times a day and they are still yellow?

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I have yellow teeth and I been brushing my teeth three times a day since January and now it’s March and I have seen a little change in color. I bought the spin brush it says that it will make my teeth whiter in 7 days. It’s been two months and yet they are still yellow. Please can anyone tell me if there is a way to whiten your teeth?

Thanks, Kim

Dear Kim,

The most effective way to whiten your teeth and keep your smile bright for years is to have them professionally whitened at the dental office. Most offices offer two types of bleaching. One is a take-home kit that requires you to have dental impressions of your teeth so bleach trays can be designed to fit your teeth. You wear the trays daily for a couple of hours with the bleaching gel for two to three weeks. This is the most cost-effective way to bleach your teeth. The price can range from $200 to $350. The other bleaching method is laser bleaching. This procedure usually requires about two hours in the dental chair and can brighten your smile about four shades lighter, depending on the shade of your teeth. This type of bleaching can cost anywhere from $500 to $600, however, whitens teeth instantly unlike the trays. Both methods work well however our teeth can discolor over time from dark liquids and smoking, therefore many like to touch up there smiles about every 3 to 5 years by purchasing a couple of tubes of dental bleach to put in their trays to brighten their smile. We recommend you consult with your dentist to see which procedure will best meet your needs.

Post courtesy of Dr. Perry, Baton Rouge Dentist.