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.

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