Teeth whitening risks and side effects
There are actually two potential risks/side effects of teeth whitening. They are both temporary, even if in some cases they may be experienced as quite disturbing. Statistically speaking, 4 of 10 patients may experience mild to moderate symptoms when undergoing a teeth whitening.
1. Pain in the gums
One of the most common side effect of teeth whitening is irritation/pain in the gums caused by a small chemical burns. This occurs when the whitening gel is in contact with the gums. This is usually due to lack of technical skills when whitening the teeth professionally, improper use of the whitening gel, or whitening trays with poor fit.
2. Hypersensitivity and tooth sensitivity
In some cases, when performing in-chair whitening, in agreement with the patient who consciously choose to accept the increased risk of tooth sensitivity, it is possible to perform a little longer treatment in order to achieve better results.
Another common side effect when whitening the teeth is temporary tooth sensitivity and hypersensitivity. In some cases, tooth sensitivity can be experienced as constant and cause discomfort. The reason for this is the bleaching agent which penetrates the tooth’s outer layer and irritate the nerve in the tooth.
Side effects after teeth whitening disappear within 48 hours
No matter what kind of discomfort you experience as a result of a correctly performed teeth whitening, it usually only lasts for 24-48 hours after treatment. Few patients may experience troublesome side effects so that they interrupt the teeth whitening process.
To get poisoned or sick as a result of the substances used for teeth whitening is practically no risk as long as you use common sense and follow the given instructions.