Baton Rouge Dentist

Can You Whiten Your Teeth Too Much?

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I have a girlfriend with a smile that can knock you off your feet. It was that very smile that first attracted me to her. In fact, it was all I could see. She’s a nurse anesthetist, so she was covered head to toe in scrubs. One of the things I’ve noticed since we’ve started dating is she has her teeth whitened every year.  Is it possible she could inadvertently be damaging her teeth?

Peter W. – Oxford, MS

Peter,

While it is possible to whiten your teeth too much, your girlfriend doesn’t seem to be in danger of that based on the information you’ve given. I’m going on the assumption that she goes to her dentist yearly for her teeth whitening. If that’s the case, he’d be obligated to make sure she’s a viable candidate for her “touch ups” and her teeth are healthy enough.

Those who do whiten too much, will soon find that they’re hurting their own cause. Their teeth will become sensitive. Additionally, the cosmetic appearance they’re striving so hard for will actually move backward.

The teeth will become translucent and eventually take on a gray color. Then they’re teeth will become brittle and chalky.

However, as I said earlier, your girlfriend is likely not in that category. Once a year is not at risk for such problems without there being outside factors to interfere with her enamel.

One thing you can remind her, is that the pores on her teeth are more open directly after teeth whitening. That puts her at a greater risk for absorbing staining food and drink.

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

Why Won’t My Gray Tooth Whiten?

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I have a tooth that turned gray. It’s been so frustrating, because I just can’t get it to whiten. I’ve been using whitestrips. Every other tooth whitens except that one. Why can’t I get it to whiten?

Sam W. – Kansas

Sam,

It sounds like that tooth has suffered some trauma. Nothing will whiten it. Not white strips. Not even professional teeth whitening.  Your stain has occurred from the inside out. The bruise on the inside of the tooth is what gives the tooth its gray appearance. Teeth whitening only works on stains that occur from the outside in.

What you’ll need is to see a dentist and have him or her do a root canal treatment on your tooth. If you’re already happy with the color of the remainder of your teeth, then you can get the crown to match the rest of your teeth.

IF you’re not happy yet, get professional teeth whitening done, so it can go quickly and then get the crown.

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

Teeth Whitening with Cavities

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I’m getting some conflicting information and am hoping for some advice. I went in for a checkup and learned I have a cavity. My dentist mentioned that if I wanted to get my teeth whitened I’d want to do it before the fillings so they can match. I had considered getting that done before, but never actually moved on it. Now I’m hurrying to do research and I read that you’re not supposed to get your teeth whitened when you have cavities. So, which is it?

Brooke M. – Florida

Brooke,

It’s one of the catch-22 situations. Yes, you’ll want to get your teeth whitened beforehand. If you don’t then you’re stuck with two choices: 1. Get the fillings done, guessing at the color you’ll have. 2. Get the fillings done, whiten, then re-do the fillings to match.

Neither of those options sounds great. Who’d want to guess, and who’d want to do the same procedure twice?

The reason some dentists say you can’t get teeth whitening done with cavities is because of the sensitivity that can come with the whitening procedure. When you have cavities, the tooth structure is closer to the nerves, which can cause more pain.

That being said. If your dentist must have thought you were a good candidate or he wouldn’t have mentioned the procedure to you. I suspect your cavities are small and would not cause excessive sensitivity. If you’re concerned, I’d ask to do some fluoride treatments, which will help.

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

Can I Whiten a Preschoolers Tooth?

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My daughter had an accident that turned her tooth gray. The dentist wants me to leave it alone because he thinks it will fall out in a year or so. I don’t want her made fun of by the other children. Can’t I whiten it? My dentist thinks I’m a little over the top.

Beth Q. – L.A.,  California

Beth,

I know appearances are a big deal in LA, but in this case I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Most preschoolers are more interested in having fun with their friends than what the appearance is. If you daughter was in later elementary onward, it might be a different story.

The truth is in your daughter’s situation, teeth whitening won’t work. So, it’s not even an option.

The key will be not making it into a big deal. If you don’t act like there is anything wrong with the tooth, she won’t feel uncomfortable. Then, in about a year, it will fall out and she can start fresh with a nice adult tooth.

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

 

Teeth Whitening and Dental Bonding

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I had a chipped tooth repaired with bonding several years ago. Can I whiten my teeth?

Nicole N. – Boston

Nicole,

You can whiten your teeth, but your dental bonding won’t whiten with them. It’s an unfortunate aspect of any type of cosmetic work. Only your natural teeth will respond to teeth whitening.

Then doesn’t mean you can’t do it. You’ll just have to have the dental bonding re-done.

To be honest, if you’ve had the bonding for several years, it’s likely time to have it re-done anyway. Just be sure to do the whitening first, then have your dentist match the bonding to the whitening.

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

Whitening bonding

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I had some composite bonding done on several years ago, but they’re starting to stain. I had just gotten the bonding to match my natural teeth at the time, because I was short on funds and couldn’t whiten also.  Now I’m in a position to whiten and wondered if it will also whiten my bonding.

Jennifer S. – Wyoming

Jennifer,

No, unfortunately your bonding will not whiten with the teeth whitening. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t have gorgeous teeth. I would go ahead and whiten your teeth. When you have them the shade you want, then you can have the bonding re-done.

If you’ve had them for several years and they’re starting to stain, then you’d likely need them re-done anyway. Now you can have it match your new white color.

Not to add expense, but in case there are other things with your teeth that have bothered you, you may want to talk to your cosmetic dentist about porcelain veneers. They can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth simultaneously.

If you’re happy with everything but the color, then just stick with the whitening and bonding.

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

Can’t afford veneers for both arches

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I really wanted to get porcelain veneers, but am not sure it will do any good if I can only get it on the top arch.  My dentist quoted me for both arches, but I can’t afford that.  I figure that the top arch is the most obvious, but they’ll look fake if my bottom teeth are all dark and crooked.

Hilliary P. – Missouri

Hilliary,

Unless your bottom teeth are in very bad shape, most dentists will only put porcelain veneers on your top arch. Then they’ll use teeth whitening to match the bottom arch’s color to your new veneers.

If your teeth are really bad on the bottom, the whitening will mask the problem until you can afford another arch. Believe me, the whitening to match the veneers will make them look a lot better than you realize.

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

Smile makeover without much money

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I only have about five hundred dollars, but I really want to do something about my teeth.  They’re old and have a little chip in the front. What can I do with that kind of money?

Giada O. – New Jersey

Giada,

You can easily do professional, take home teeth whitening in that price range.  To be honest, teeth whitening is one of the easiest (and dramatic) things you can do to brighten up your smile.  Having whiter teeth takes years off your appearance.

Depending on the size of the chip on your tooth (and the prices of your dentist), it’s feasible that you can have dental bonding done on the chip on your tooth. Depending on what exactly will need to be done with the tooth, it will generally cost between $100-$600 per tooth.

Be sure you get the tooth whitening done before you do any bonding. That way it will be matched to your new white color.

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

Do Crest Whitestrips work as well as dental teeth whitening?

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I keep seeing Crest Whitestrips in the stores. Do they work as well as dental teeth whitening?

Jana G. – Alabama

Jana,

Well, it depends on what you’re actually asking. If you’re wanting to know if they will whiten your teeth, then the answer is yes. If you’re asking if they work as well as professional teeth whitening, then the answer is no.

It is not nearly as strong a whitening solution because it is sold over the counter. It would take many, many boxes to get your teeth as white as your dentist could. Also, the strips only cover just a few of your front teeth. You’ll have visible teeth that don’t get whitened.

There is a solution to that though. You could put more than one strip on at a time on each arch in order to cover all the teeth that you’ll want whitened.

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

Bonding turning yellow

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I’ve had my dental bonding for a few years on a chipped tooth. It is starting to get stained, so the bonding part is a different color than the rest of my tooth.  Could teeth whitening help this? I’ve been wanting to whiten my teeth anyway, but this would give me a reason to justify it.

Elizabeth J. – Louisiana

Elizabeth,

It sounds like your dental bonding has reached the end of its useful life.  Teeth whitening won’t help whiten any type of dental work. It’s only useful on natural tooth structure.  In order to get that chip to match the remainder of your teeth it will have to be replaced.

As you’re wanting whiter natural teeth as well, it’s important you do your teeth whitening before you have the new bonding done.  That way it can be tailored to your new brighter color.

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