Baton Rouge Dentist

Pain After a New Filling and Had to Stop Teeth Whitening

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In January, my dentist filled a front tooth with composite. He had to smooth out the filling a month later, but after whitening my tooth at home, I felt shocking pain in the tooth. I stopped bleaching and felt the same pain last week when biting a banana. I can’t chew anything soft. Even lukewarm drinks increase the sensation. I am sure that my dentist will want to redo the filling. But could this tooth need a root canal, too? I am getting anxious about what could be wrong. Thank you. Dana from TN

 

Dana,

If you feel intense pain, you probably need to see an endodontist (root canal specialist). It is good that you stopped teeth whitening treatment because it could further irritate your tooth.

Your tooth is not merely irritated from a new filling. Although you might have some sensitivity after a filling, it does not last for months. It will gradually improve.

Lingering Pain After a New Filling

Lingering pain after a new filling means that the tooth is infected. It does not mean that your dentist necessarily did anything wrong, though. When removing the decay, sometimes bacteria infect the tooth pulp (living tissue and nerves). A tooth is already irritated from dental work, and when bacteria is pushed through it, an infection can flare up.

Preventing tooth discoloration after a root canal

When a dentist performs a root canal on a front froth, they must remove root canal filling material from inside the crown. It will prevent the tooth from discoloring and needing cosmetic treatment to conceal the discoloration.

Schedule an Appointment with a Specialist

After an examination, an endodontist, or a dentist skilled in root canal treatment, can tell you what to expect with root canal treatment. Afterward, the tooth will be weak and may need a crown.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

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

What You Should Know About Charcoal Teeth Whitening

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Many people are interested in charcoal teeth whitening. The method is more popular than ever right now, thanks to You Tube. This type of teeth whitening is using activated charcoal, which is different than the type of charcoal used on a grill. Before you attempt this new whitening technique, you should understand some important aspects of the popular craze.

What You Should Know About Charcoal Teeth Whitening

It’s a natural and non-toxic teeth whitening technique. Charcoal is used in the medical field, and as a supplement. This method is safe to consume in small doses, and is believed to be a way to detox.

Charcoal is also absorbent. It works well for removing stains from teeth because they are just soaked away.

Unfortunately, it is not safe to use on your teeth. Charcoal’s abrasiveness can scratch through the enamel on your teeth. While the enamel is tough and protects, it’s not resistant to scratches. It is more abrasive than toothpastes, which come in varying degrees of abrasiveness, therefore could be damaging to your teeth.

Finally, there is conflicting information about whether or not it actually works as a teeth whitening method. While it some claim that is works to lighten teeth, nothing has been proven clinically, or been approved as a treatment technique. Unfortunately, if the enamel on your teeth is damaged, it will never return to the healthy protective state. This will lead to more sensitive and cavity-prone teeth. In addition, the results are not as noticeable as what you would see if you went to a dentist for the teeth whitening procedure.

Traditional Teeth Whitening Options

For those who aren’t interested in the charcoal teeth-whitening bandwagon, the traditional methods are dependable options.

Having your teeth whitened in a dental office is effective due to its potency. The solution opens up the dental tubules, similar to pores on your teeth, which are closed, then allows the substance to enter and increase the whitening power. Some patients experience sensitivity following this procedure, due to the tubules taking a few days to close, but side-effect can be lessened by using fluoride for a three to four weeks prior to treatment.

Another option is a take-home system. These systems are not as strong as those in the dental offices. Therefore teeth will take longer to lighten, and may not lighten to the degree than at in-office whitening would. However, it affords you the chance to stop the process if the sensitivity is bothering you.

This article is provided by the office of Baton Rouge teeth whitening dentist, Dr. Ryan Perry.

Can Teeth Get Too White?

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Many people understand the concept behind teeth whitening. They know that our teeth collect stains through the years. The now that teeth take on pigments from coffee, some fruits, wine, and other pigmented sources. They also believe teeth whitening removes the stains. However that is a misconception.

Teeth Whitening Bleaches the Natural Pigment in Your Teeth

While teeth whitening removes the pigmented stains, it also removes the natural pigment in your teeth. This can be illustrated by explaining shade guides.

Teeth Whitening and Shade Guides

In dental school, dentists learn about shade guides, a tool with a full spectrum of natural teeth colors which a dentist may see in natural teeth. When he or she needed to match a patient’s natural tooth color for a crown, or some sort of unnatural tooth, the dentist could always refer to the shade guide.

vita-shade-guide

Teeth whitening gained momentum in the 1990s. When people would be in need of porcelain crowns, the color of their natural teeth would be much whiter than that on the shade guide, because they’d been whitening their teeth. Therefore, the manufacturers had to adjust the guide, to allow for the whitened colors.

vita-shade-guide-bleached-extension

Experienced cosmetic dentists will use the revised shade guide, as they often have clients who have teeth whitening done on their teeth. However, general dentists typically only consult the original shade guide. Therefore, a patient who has had his or her teeth whitened, who visits a general dentist, with less cosmetic experience, runs the risk of crowns or veneers not matching the natural pigment in their teeth, because even the whitest shade on the guide could still be darker than whitened teeth.

The Amount of Whitening Caused By Teeth Whitening

The results of dental studies indicate that the longer your whiten your teeth, the whiter they will become. However, the longer someone uses the bleaching gel, the amount of whitening will actually begin to decrease, causing most people to hit a point where they stop. Some people will whiten their teeth to the point that they seem to glow. It is all a matter of preference.

This blog post was provided by the office of Baton Rouge teeth whitening dentist, Dr. Ryan Perry.

Why is my teeth whitening causing me pain?

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I have been whitening my teeth, using an at-home system, for a couple of weeks now and have had no problems. However, during my whitening session yesterday, I experienced an intense pain for about half of a minute in my front tooth. This tooth has a dental bond that was chipped and corrected over a decade ago. Do you think the pain is any indication that the dental bond needs replaced? Or, is there any chance that the whitening I’ve been doing is causing the bond to lose its strength? I’m worried that it could be both.

Thank you,
Lindsay

Dear Lindsay,
It is unlikely that the bleaching would cause the bond on your tooth to weaken. The bleaching gel has no history of weakening bonds such as this. In addition, if the bond were beginning to lose its strength, the repair, which you mentioned having done to to the chip in the bond, would likely fall off and not just cause pain.


The pain you mentioned experiencing can be attributed to the bleaching gel applied to a part of the tooth which is sensitive. If the tooth has been chipped and repaired, it’s possible that the part which is sensitive was previously covered by a bonding agent that is no longer there.

This is a good reminder that teeth whitening is best done under the supervision of a dentist and hopefully this is the case with you. You should make your dentist aware of the pain you’ve been experiencing. He or she should be able to determine the cause of the problem. If there is a sensitive part to the tooth, something can be applied to address the sensitivity, allowing you to move forward with your current bleaching treatment. It is important that you address this prior to any more bleaching.

This blog post is brought to you by Baton Rouge teeth whitening dentist, Dr. Ryan Perry.

Can lemons make my teeth whiter?

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I am interested in whitening my teeth and have been researching ways to do it myself. The more natural options continue to appeal to me. My teeth aren’t in terrible condition, but I would be happy if they were a little brighter. The lemon and orange method to whitening continues to jump out at me. They say if you use the essential oils in these fruits, or rub the peels on your teeth daily, the method works as a whitening agent. How does this help? What causes the fruit to whiten my teeth?

Thanks,
Carrie

Dear Carrie,
While this, indeed, is a solution promoted by natural health resources, it can cause permanent damage to your teeth for several reasons.

  1. There are many reasons for tooth discoloration. The discoloration of teeth can be intrinsic, which comes from inside the tooth, or extrinsic coming from outside. When a tooth dies, it becomes gray. Age, genetic factors, hard brushing, acidic wear, or some medications, can all cause discoloration to show through. Extrinsic stains are often the result of habits such as drinking soda, coffee, tea, wine, or juice. Smoking can also cause the change in color.
  2. Clean teeth don’t usually have external staining. Teeth build up a natural layer of plaque. This is similar to the slippery film on a rock in a river or a lake. This plaque layer is called biofilm and it includes bacteria that can cause tooth decay or gum disease. Brushing twice a day and visiting your general dentist regularly can ensure none of the biofilm stays on teeth. Coloring from food or drinks won’t have much to stick to when teeth are clean. It is when the biofilm builds up that the stains tend to last. Regular dental hygiene is the best way to prevent this buildup.
  3. Citrus fruits do whiten teeth. Citrus fruits can brighten teeth, mainly due to their citric acid killing the bacteria. Apple cider vinegar can also be used on discolored teeth, but does have acetic acid.
  4. Acids can damage tooth enamel. The acid in the above cures will weaken and wear down the enamel on teeth, magnify the discoloration of teeth, cause them to become more sensitive, and make them more susceptible to decay. Unfortunately, once tooth enamel goes away, there is no way to get it back. Some sources suggest using oil or a water rinse to weaken the impact of the acid, but this is not a guarantee. The best choice would be not to use the methods which involve acid at all.
  5. Use professional whitening. It is important to discuss any of the natural cures to the stained teeth with your dentist first. Determine what he or she thinks is best, or, better yet, find a dentist who does teeth whitening, and know that it is a tested and safe method.

This blog is sponsored by Baton Rouge teeth whitening dentist, Dr. Ryan Perry.

Can I whiten my teeth if I have fillings?

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Hello! I am a woman in my early fifties and am interested in whitening my teeth. However, I have a filling on one of my front teeth that is not the exact same color as my teeth. I am concerned that the filling will not whiten like my natural teeth. Will this be the case? If so, do I have any other options?

Thank you,

Karen

Dear Karen,

You are correct. The filling will not whiten. You can address this by first whitening your teeth. Then, after a couple of weeks have passed, have your filling resurfaced to match your whiter teeth. It is crucial that you wait a couple of weeks before doing this in order for the whiter tooth color to settle after bleaching. If you resurface too early, you’ll chance running into the same problem with the colors.

If you have any tooth decay, you will need to have this addressed with a dentist prior to whitening, then redo the fillings at a later date.

Will Teeth Whitening Hurt My Dental Implants?

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I’ve got three dental implants. My teeth have been slowly yellowing and I’d like to whiten them, but I’m worried they’ll damage my dental implants. My dentist gave me the screw retained kind of implant so I think I can take them off while I’m whitening if necessary. I think he did that because I told him I wanted to whiten my teeth when we were discussing my tooth replacement options. Unfortunately, my dentist has been sick and is taking an extended leave, so I’ve got to figure this out on my own.

Logan L.

Dear Logan,

I’m sorry your dentist has been ill. I’m guessing you feel out of balance trying to make plans without your normal care giver. I wish your dentist would have whitened your teeth before you received your dental implants. That makes matching everything much easier.

You can still whiten your teeth without fear of it damaging your dental implants. Teeth whitening only works on natural tooth structure, so the gel will whiten your teeth and leave the implant crowns as they are. However, that leaves you with a separate problem. It leaves the implants exactly the way they are. So, if they matched your implants to your older teeth (which I hope they did), they will not match your new beautiful, white color.

Fortunately, you do have screw-retained dental implants. That’s good, because it makes it easier to remove and replace the crown. So, get your teeth whitened. Then give it a couple of weeks for the color to settle down. Make sure your new dentist has some skill with cosmetic dentistry.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry.

I Think the Teeth Whitening Shop Destroyed My Teeth?

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I went to a teeth whitening shop which opened in our city mall. The sales lady assured me only certified teeth whitening specialists were allowed to work on my teeth. I liked their price and she showed me all their safety measures so it sounded like a good alternative to my dentist. I asked how they could do the procedure so much cheaper than my dentist and she said it was an issue of lower overhead. They only do this procedure so they won’t have to have a ton of staff or expensive machines. I think I made a huge mistake. My gums feel like they’re being stabbed by a hundred mini daggers and my teeth look all blotchy, especially where I have a filling. Are my teeth destroyed? With the pain to my gums, will I lose my teeth?

Dolly M.

Dear Dolly,

It’s more likely the pain to your gums is a result of the whitening agent or the light they used coming in contact with your gums. That won’t make your teeth fall out, but it will hurt like the dickens. Saltwater rinses may give you some relief. If they were as trained as they claimed to be, they would have taken precautions to protect your gums.

That brings me to their “certification”. There is no such thing as a certified teeth whitening specialist through the American Dental Association. That’s likely just a term they use for their company when they “train” their employees. However, this training is showing some real deficits.

We’ve already discussed how your gums should have been protected during the teeth whitening procedure. But, they should have discussed your fillings with you before moving forward with your treatment. Dental work, such as fillings or crowns, do not whiten. Only natural tooth structure is affected by the whitening agent. Once a couple of weeks have passed and the color has had a chance to settle, you can have white fillings re-done to match the new, whiter color of your teeth.

If you’re still in pain, even with the salt-water rinses, it’s perfectly acceptable for you to take a pain reliever, such as ibuprofen.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry.

Are Whitening Toothpastes Safe?

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My sister in law tends to behave like she knows everything. It can get a little annoying. Recently I told her I’d been using a whitening toothpaste. She insists it will damage my teeth. Normally, I’d blow off her know-it-all comments, but in this case I worry she may know something I don’t. She’s a dental hygienist. Is she right? Will they damage my teeth?

Jenna T. – Virginia

Jenna,

I’m sorry you have a tense relationship with your sister-in-law.  Families can be challenging. Sometimes they annoy us without us even understanding why. The fact is, your gut assumption was right. Your sister-in-law had some extra information.

Most whitening toothpastes have an abrasive ingredient. While they are effective at removing surface stains, they have two downsides.

  1. They only remove surface stains. Most teeth stains are beneath the surface. You’ll need professional teeth whitening to truly get all those stains. I don’t know your age, but whatever it is you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out how much younger that one simple cosmetic procedure makes us look. Professional level teeth whitening takes years off our smiles.
  2. It sabotages your efforts. That abrasive ingredient, while it may scrape off those surface stains, it also etches into your healthy enamel. This has the unfortunate side-effect of causing your feet to pick up more stains. It’s a vicious cycle:  Your teeth get stained, you brush with whitening toothpaste, the stains come off, but etch your teeth, which causes them to pick up more stains.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry.

Whitened My Teeth Before I Knew I Was Pregnant

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Did I hurt my baby? I whitened my teeth before I even knew I was pregnant.

Terrified Almost Mom – California

Dear Terrified,

You’re not an “almost” mom, you’re a mom. And based on your question, you’re a great one.  First, take a deep breath. You haven’t hurt your baby. I realize teeth whitening hasn’t been approved by the FDA for use during pregnancy, but here’s why.

In order to get FDA clearance, trials have to be performed in which pregnant mothers have teeth whitening done and then healthy babies are born. As you can imagine, there aren’t many moms who are running to have experimentation done on their unborn child.

If you’re still worried, just remember there’s nothing you can change about something that’s already done and stress IS bad for your baby. Relax.  From here on out, just don’t do any touch-ups, eat healthy, be active, and don’t punish yourself for something which wasn’t wrong.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry.