Baton Rouge Dentist

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.

Am I damaging my teeth with my teeth whitening?

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I love whitening my teeth. I started when I went to a dentist who had a promotion going that you would get a free teeth whitening kit as a new patient. My teeth weren’t terrible when I started, but they looked a little yellow to me. I got the whitening trays and the gel and used them pretty religiously.  My teeth got whiter when I used the whitening trays, but I was afraid they would yellow again if I didn’t keep doing something. So when I had dentist visits, I would get more gel. I would also use some whitening strips from the drug store in between visits. I have done this for some time now. I’m out of gel again and am wondering if I should just do the in-office whitening treatment. My husband is worried that I’ll hurt my teeth doing much more whitening. Could this happen?

Thanks,

Bright Whites

Dear Bright Whites,

For most people, a regular schedule of whitening each month is okay. This is especially true of people who regularly smoke or consume staining food or drinks. Not all tooth whitening is created equally, though.

Teeth whitening methods

The teeth whitening strips you use from the drug store are the weakest of the whitening methods you use. Because they aren’t on as long and the formula isn’t as strong, whitening strips aren’t as effective for brightening a smile.

Whitening trays and the gel you get from a dentist’s office are stronger. The nice thing about this method is that you can do it from home. When used regularly, these can help whiten your teeth.Teeth whitened

The third method is the teeth whitening you mentioned that is done in the dentist’s office. This is done with a bleaching agent that is placed on all your teeth and a light is shined on them. This can take a couple of hours and is effective, but is more expensive.

Over-whitening

Some people start to exhibit problems when they over-whiten their teeth. It can lead to sensitivity or translucent teeth. Oddly enough, it can also lead to more staining. Your teeth naturally have holes in the surface that are microscopic. These holes are normally closed. When you whiten your teeth, those holes open up. After the bleaching process, it can take time–from a few days to a few weeks–for them to close up completely again. Unfortunately, if you smoke or consume staining foods or drinks such as grape juice, berries, or coffee, the teeth will start to absorb those stains right after the whitening treatment.

Ideally you should talk to your dentist about the amount of whitening you are doing. Make sure he is aware of the frequency and duration of your treatments at home. He will help you know if a whitening treatment in the office is recommended or if he would advise against it.

You can also brighten your smile by making sure you have white fillings in your teeth, as well.

This post is sponsored by Dr. Ryan Perry of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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 my fillings making me sick?

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I have been getting more and more sick. My doctors can’t figure out what is wrong with me. I’ve been doing some research on almost anything to try to see if I can come up with anything. Through that I learned that amalgam fillings are loaded with mercury. My mouth is full of fillings. Could that be what is making me sick?

Annette- Boston

Annette,

I couldn’t tell you what is making you sick. I can tell you that the American Dental Association has said that amalgam fillings are safe.  I know many patient’s are growing increasingly concerned. If you’re worried, I suggest you contact a mercury-free dentist in your area and ask if they do sanitary removal.

They can take out the fillings and exchange them with composite fillings. You could at least see if that helps you feel better. At the very least, it will give you peace of mind that you at least tried. Plus, composite (white) fillings are better for your teeth.

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