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Can Anyone Have Their Teeth Whitened?

Leeds City Dentalcare often get asked this question as teeth whitening is one of our most popular cosmetic dentistry in Leeds. The quick answer is that teeth whitening is generally suitable for anyone who has a healthy mouth, but it’s not always right for everybody. People who may not be suitable for teeth whitening include:

• Anyone under the age of 16 as their teeth are still likely to be developing. Children have much larger pulp chambers than adults. The pulp chamber is a central part of the tooth that contains all the nerves and blood vessels that are necessary for the teeth to develop normally. Using whitening products too soon could irritate the pulp chamber and may cause tooth sensitivity. Most children tend to have beautifully white teeth anyway, and shouldn’t need to use bleaching products.
• People with particularly sensitive teeth may find it quite uncomfortable to use bleaching products. This doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t, but they may need to take a few extra precautions.
• Women who are pregnant or who are breast-feeding are better off avoiding teeth whitening. There hasn’t been very much research into whether or not teeth whitening is safe while pregnant so it’s best to avoid it just be completely safe.
• Anyone with existing oral health conditions should not whiten their teeth. Having untreated gum disease or decay is likely to mean the bleach will penetrate the teeth which is something that could prove to be quite uncomfortable or even painful. People who grind their teeth need to get this problem sorted out prior to whitening as this condition can cause a lot of damage to teeth as the bleach could penetrate through cracks and chips in the teeth unless they are repaired beforehand.
• Some people may have teeth stains that don’t respond particularly well to bleach. For instance tetracycline staining and dental fluorosis doesn’t always respond particularly well to bleach. However there are always alternative methods of whitening teeth, and this is something that Dr David Brown can advise you about.
• Any existing dental restorations will not be affected by bleaching so this is something you need to take into consideration if you have a lot of veneers or crowns. It may be that your need to budget to have these restorations replaced in order to get an evenly white smile.
• If you have any existing health conditions then it’s well worth mentioning this to your dentist when you visit our Leeds surgery just in case this has any effect on your teeth whitening.

We always recommend that you have a complete check-up and professional cleaning before using our custom made whitening trays. Using the bleach on a beautifully clean mouth will enable it to penetrate the teeth more easily, and in any case having your teeth scaled and polished usually leaves them looking a little whiter.

It’s essential that you follow our instructions on whitening your teeth as this will help ensure the process is completely safe. Don’t be tempted to overuse the bleaching gels or to leave them in longer than recommended as you could damage your teeth. As a rule of thumb the colour you are looking to achieve should be no whiter than the whites of your eyes. This will give you a smile that looks beautifully natural and healthy.