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.

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