I have cavities, can I have my teeth whitened?

Teeth whitening is one of the most requested dental esthetic treatments nowadays. Thanks to teeth whitening, the patient is able to remove stains from the teeth to obtain a whiter shade. Not surprisingly, teeth can lose their color over the years as a result of insufficient oral hygiene or excessive consumption of certain foods and beverages that can stain them. This way, thanks to teeth whitening, a whiter, more beautiful and healthier smile is achieved.

However, not all patients can undergo teeth whitening at any time. There are some conditioning factors that will postpone the treatment, such as certain problems or diseases, or even the need for a thorough cleaning of the mouth before undertaking a teeth whitening process. If you are considering teeth whitening, the specialists at our dental clinic in Granada can advise you.

Requirements for teeth whitening

Although almost anyone can have their teeth whitened, there are a number of prerequisites for this treatment, such as not suffering from any oral disease. Before starting teeth whitening, the dentist will check that the patient’s tooth surfaces are clean and free of plaque and that the gums are healthy. He or she will also check for infections throughout the mouth.

In addition, the expert will make sure that you do not have cracks and fractures in the enamel, very high dental sensitivity or cavities . Caries appear in those dental pieces that present a weak enamel, which will not be prepared for treatments of these characteristics.

Thus, tooth decay makes tooth whitening impossible, since there is a risk that the peroxide contained in the whitening gel will penetrate the tooth and irritate the pulp. Therefore, tooth whitening should not be performed in patients with caries, since the possible subsequent discomfort would be very strong.

Only a professional can do teeth whitening

In recent years, the sale of teeth whitening kits over the Internet has become popular. These are products that, according to European legislation, can only be purchased by dentists and it is illegal for a private individual to purchase them. The latter can only buy kits whose concentration of whitening agents is so low that they have no effect on the teeth.

For all these reasons, it is necessary that teeth whitening treatments be performed by a qualified professional. The dentist will also perform a previous study of the mouth, to ensure that there is no presence of cavities or any other problem associated with oral health.

If you are thinking about whitening your teeth, call or write us now!