Bleaching Your Teeth Too Much May Cause Damage (2024)

FAQs

Bleaching Your Teeth Too Much May Cause Damage? ›

However, teeth whitening treatments can cause damage to the enamel if not done correctly or overused. Enamel damage can lead to increased sensitivity, pain, and white spots on your teeth. It's essential to consult with a dentist before using any teeth whitening products to ensure they're safe for your teeth.

Risks associated with too much whitening include tooth and gum sensitivity, discoloration, and even enamel degradation.

The excessive use of bleach to whiten your teeth can cause tooth enamel erosion. Tooth enamel is the extremely hard substance that protects your tooth. With its destruction, your oral health will be greatly affected, leading to more tooth decay, pain, and risks for tooth fracturing.

Tooth bleaching tends to increase enamel roughness and porosity, in addition to reducing surface microhardness.

Studies have shown that professional teeth whitening does not harm enamel. But that doesn't mean your concerns with enamel end there. People will thin enamel on their teeth might not be good candidates for professional teeth whitening.

In-office teeth whitening treatment offers a way for you to brighten your smile safely. Dentists recommend getting whitening treatment once a year or so for most patients to keep their smiles looking aesthetically pleasing. Whitening teeth too often could cause certain oral health concerns, such as worn-down enamel.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer to how often you should whiten your teeth. Some people may find that they need to whiten their teeth every few months, while others may only need to do so once a year. Ultimately, it's up to you and your dentist to decide what frequency is best.

One of the most common side effects is tooth sensitivity, which can occur during or after treatment. Overuse or misuse of teeth whitening products can also lead to enamel damage, gum irritation, and discoloration.

But this begs the question “does teeth whitening damage the enamel?” The answer is no. While there may sometimes be side effects, whitening treatment is safe on tooth enamel. The process of tooth whitening is essentially the tooth will become dehydrated, meaning dried out.

In some cases, the whitening treatments can end up permanently damaging the tooth. Things are even worse if the tooth is already decayed. Whitening treatments are not effective on stains and discoloration caused by tooth decay and it can end up damaging the tooth even more.

Does enamel grow back after whitening? ›

While you can't regrow enamel that's gone, dentists can restore damaged tooth enamel with fluoride treatments. Fluoride remineralizes and strengthens the outer layers of your teeth.

Custom-fitted trays and in-office treatments are the safest and most effective ways to whiten teeth. ADA-approved over-the-counter toothpastes, gels, and strips are more affordable and convenient options.

It is true that over-whitening can cause discoloration in the edges of your teeth. This is an immediate sign that you have been whitening them too long or too often. This can usually be attributed to overexposure to peroxide. The problem with significant discoloration is that it is oftentimes irreversible.

The Whitening Process & Why It Dehydrates Teeth

The tooth's pores are now open and exposed to the outside environment. This raises the internal temperature of the teeth, resulting in a loss of moisture and making them prone to dehydration and other vulnerabilities, including tooth pain and sensitivity.

There has been no evidence found that teeth whitening can lead to nerve damage. A study followed patients for seven years. During this time they were using teeth whitening systems. No patient needed any additional work on their teeth performed such as a root canal due to the whitening.

Dentists typically recommend getting one or two professional whitening treatments per year. At-home whitening kits can be used for up to 14 consecutive days. People who have gotten professional whitening can maintain their results by using these kits a few times a year.

Your Teeth Are Starting to Look Translucent

That said, they shouldn't be allowing light to pass through in a way that your teeth almost have an appearance that you can slightly see through. Translucent teeth are usually caused by over-whitening, over-bleaching, or other excessive forms of treatment.

It's generally safe to use an LED teeth whitener once every 24-48 hours, depending on the strength of the device and the sensitivity of your teeth. The MOON Teeth Whitening Device is designed to be gentle and is safe to use twice a day for 14 days at a time.

According to our dentist in 48446, one can over-whiten their teeth, and some effects come with it. It is known as bleachorexia. Over-the-counter whitening systems are usually set up to be used for a maximum of ten to fourteen days in a row at a given time.