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Whitening a Fake Tooth

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My parents are big believers in doing research before you ask for anything. I have a retainer which has a fake tooth attached. It replaced a missing lateral incisor. That tooth has been missing my whole life. It just never came in. I’m going into my senior year of high school in the fall. My junior year I took 6 AP classes. I spent a lot of nights drinking coffee to stay awake while studying. Now my teeth are stained. I’d like to get my teeth whitened, but first I’ll need to know whether the whitening could damage my fake tooth before I ask my parents.

Lizzie

Dear Lizzie,

Teeth Whitening Trays

Teeth Whitening Trays

How great that you’re taking the initiative and figuring things out. You’ve asked an important question too. My guess is you did quite respectably on all six of your AP exams.

It is perfectly safe for you to whiten your teeth while having a fake tooth. The only real issue that will come up is that the whitening gel will only whiten natural tooth structure. That means your teeth will likely be whiter than your fake tooth. Because it is a visible tooth, you’ll want to have that replaced to match the whiter color of your teeth.

A Permanent Replacement for Your Lateral Incisor

When you’re old enough and your jaw is completely developed, you can have a permanent replacement for your tooth. Talk to your parents about dental implants. It’s something they’ll want to start looking into now and preparing for.

Once you graduate, your jaw may be ready. This is a surgical procedure. The best thing is it is totally secure. You won’t have to worry about it coming out. You can eat what you like and brush and floss it as you would your natural teeth.

The only thing is to make sure of two things.

1. You’ll want someone with a lot of implant training and experience. It is an advanced procedure.
2. Matching a single tooth isn’t easy. You’ll want an expert cosmetic dentist as well to do your implant crown.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Teeth Whitening with Lemon Juice

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I’m having a makeover slumber party. I wanted to do this recipe for teeth whitening with lemon juice I found online, but my mom says I have to check that it’s safe with a dentist first. So, is it safe?

Mandy

Dear Mandy,

whole and cut lemons

Can Lemons Whiten Your Teeth?

I’m glad your mom had you check. The internet is a wonderful tool, but like everything else in life, you need to check its veracity. These days, we’d call that article you read “fake news”. Using lemon juice on your teeth is extremely dangerous.

The citric acid in lemons is so corrosive that it’s used in industrial cleaners. It will eat away the enamel on your teeth. In fact, hopefully, your dentist has warned you to wait 30 minutes to brush your teeth after consuming anything citrus or any sodas (which contain citric acid). Even better, rinse out your mouth immediately after.

This doesn’t mean you can’t have some kind of teeth whitening element at your party. If your mom is willing, she could purchase a box of Crest Whitestrips for you and your friends to use during your slumber party. They’ll whiten your teeth a little, though not nearly as much as teeth whitening from a dentist.

The Best Protection Against Needing Teeth Whitening

You’re still young, so your teeth haven’t picked up too many stains. They will as you age, regardless of how careful you are with your oral hygiene, but there are ways to make sure it doesn’t happen quickly. Certain beverages stain your teeth more, such as tea and coffee.

Smoking is horrible for your oral hygiene. Not only does it stain your teeth remarkably quickly, but it puts you at a high risk for gum disease. If you avoid those things, brush and floss daily, and go to regular check-ups with your dentist, your teeth will stay white and healthy for many years.

When you’re old, like me, you can then get your teeth whitened in just one appointment using an in-office whitening system called Zoom Whitening.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Can I Really Whiten My Teeth With Charcoal?

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I read that you can naturally whiten your teeth with charcoal. I’ve heard of people ingesting charcoal and it being safe, so there must be some truth in it. But, will it actually work? I’ve whitened my teeth at my dentist’s before using Zoom. But I didn’t know how hard it is for people with sensitive teeth. I found the process painful. A natural alternative sounds like a great idea for me. I’ve been wanting a touch-up.

Carolyn L.

Dear Carolyn,

Charcoal

Can Charcoal Whiten Your Teeth?

First, I want to make sure anyone reading this knows that those who’ve made this method popular are talking about activated charcoal and not the briquettes used for grilling. Interest in whitening teeth with charcoal is on the rise because of some YouTube videos.

While charcoal is safe to ingest and has medicinal applications, teeth whitening isn’t one of them. While it will absorb stains, it will actually damage your enamel. The end result will be teeth that pick up stains much more quickly and easily. That is not the goal of anyone looking for options for teeth whitening.

Can You Use Zoom Teeth Whitening if You Have Sensitive Teeth?

It’s a shame your dentist didn’t warn you about the issue with sensitive teeth, especially because you have a couple of great options. If you’re in need of a touch-up, here’s what I’d recommend.

  • If you like the convenience of Zoom’s one appointment whitening, your dentist can give you a bottle of fluoride treatments to use for a couple of weeks before your appointment. This minimizes your pain. I’d also recommend taking some ibuprofen about an hour before treatment and then acetaminophen after.
  • Take-Home Teeth Whitening. While Zoom works much faster, it’s also much stronger. Your dentist can make custom-fitted whitening trays for your bite and give you a professional teeth whitening gel to use with them. You can just wear them for a minimum of twenty minutes a day until you reach the level of whitening you need. This is much less painful and you can just whiten to your level of comfort. Plus, it’s usually the preferred option for touch-ups anyway. Another benefit is you can keep the trays and use them again for the next time you want to brighten things up again. Then, your only cost is the gel.

Is Teeth Whitening Weakening My Bonding?

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I have a chip on my front tooth. It was repaired by dental bonding. The last few days, I’ve been doing at-home teeth whitening. I’ve only been doing it a few days. Last night when I did it there was quite a good “Zing”. It was fast, but it caused me to jump. The source was the tooth where there’s been bonding. Does this mean that the teeth whitening is weakening the bond that’s fixed my chipped tooth?

Melissa A.

Dear Melissa,

Grosse Pointe Woods Teeth Whitening Before

Before Teeth Whitening

Grosse Pointe Woods Teeth Whitening After

After Teeth Whitening

It’s an important question you asked and it illustrates why it is so important for patients undergoing teeth whitening to be under the care of a competent dentist. I assume you are.

I don’t think the teeth whitening gel is weakening your dental bonding. First, there is no evidence that bonding does that. As much teeth whitening and bonding that have been done, we’d see something. Instead, I think you have a spot that is sensitive.

Often, when a tooth has been injured and repaired a sensitive spot develops. If that spot loses some of its protection the result is an increase in sensitivity. Add in a strong chemical element such as whitening gel and you get that “zing” you experienced.

My recommendation is you call your dentist and let him know what happened. He (or she) can pinpoint the exact spot and place a protective coating over it. You’ll then be safe to resume your whitening pain-free.

One thing which is important to note is your dental bonding will not whiten along with your natural teeth. Instead, your teeth will whiten and the bonding will remain its original color. You’ll want to replace it to match your new color if it’s in a visible location.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis

I Think Mall Teeth Whitening Ruined My Teeth

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I’ve always thought about getting my teeth whitened. I’d asked my dentist about it and it was more than I was ready to pay at the time. The other day I was at the mall and a new teeth whitening shop opened up. I wandered in, just curious and spoke to the woman in charge. She told me they had to get certified in teeth whitening before they could work there, so I felt the place was safe. When I found out they were half the price of my dentist I got really excited. They had an opening right away so I went ahead and did it. I’m really regretting it now and am worried they’ve ruined my teeth. Putting the agonizing pain my gums are in aside, my teeth look weird because the two fillings I have turned dark. Plus, my crown didn’t whiten at all. They said it will look normal after some time, but it hasn’t changed. Now I look like something out of a hillbilly movie. Can this be fixed?

Marissa A.

Dear Marissa,

Teeth Whitening Trays

Teeth Whitening Trays

There are quite a few things going on here. The teeth whitening shop you went to made quite a few rookie mistakes. First, I want to make sure you know there isn’t any official certification in teeth whitening. My suspicion is it’s some sort of company training they do with their employees. Unfortunately, that training doesn’t seem to be helping them.

The fact that your gums are in pain tells me that they neglected to protect them from the whitening gel. It’s a little like giving your gums a sunburn. It hurts like mad, but will get better. Some salt water rinses may help along with some over-the-counter pain reliever. Though, mostly it’s just going to take some time.

As for the blotchy, uneven whitening of your teeth, I have no idea why they told you it would fix over time. Maybe they were just trying to get rid of you. They should have warned you that dental work does not whiten. Only natural tooth structure whitens.

It hasn’t ruined your teeth, but you will have to take some steps and (unfortunately) extra expense to repair this. The dental crown and the fillings will have to be re-done.

If you go to a skilled cosmetic dentist, they can match the fillings and crown to your new, brighter white color exactly. If they crown is visible, make sure they give you an all-porcelain crown. That will look much more natural.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Should I Tell My Sister Her Teeth are Blotchy?

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My sister just had teeth whitening done. Her teeth are much whiter, which makes her very happy. And I’m happy to see her proud of her smile. But, her smile is blotchy. I think it’s the few fillings she has that are visible. They don’t seem to have whitened. I don’t know if I should tell her or let her remain obliviously happy. As a cosmetic dentist, do you have any recommendations on how to fix this? I don’t just want to tell her something is wrong without giving her a way to make it better.

Amanda W.

Dear Amanda,

It’s obvious you care about your sister very much, which is wonderful. We all need someone who has our back. If your sister has fillings they won’t whiten. Only natural tooth structure responds to teeth whitening. So, you’re right, that’s why her teeth are looking blotchy. However, if she went to even a halfway decent cosmetic dentist they likely warned her about that and have made preparations to take care of it.

They’re probably waiting a couple of weeks for the color to settle down. When that’s completed they’ll replace her fillings with new white composite fillings mixed to match the new color of her teeth.

It’s amazing what even the simplest cosmetic procedure can do for someone’s confidence. I’d wait a few weeks before saying anything to her. You don’t want to do anything to her confidence if her cosmetic dentist already has things in hand. If a few weeks go by and nothing is done with her fillings, then you can sit her down and let her know. But, be certain to let her know it’s an easy fix. If it turns out her dentist didn’t warn her about this, then she really needs to go to a different dentist to have this worked on. Someone competent.

Teeth Whitening is easy, but matching the composite filling to the exact color of her teeth requires slightly more skill. She’ll want someone who could really match it.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Can My Teeth Whitening Trays Sub for a Lost Retainer?

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I lost my retainer. I’m really bummed because I don’t have money for a new one. I had my teeth whitened right after my braces were done. I still have the whitening trays. Could they substitute for my retainer until my finances improve?

Nancy G. – New Jersey

Nancy,

That’s a shame about your retainer. Unfortunately, teeth whitening trays are not good substitutes. For one, retainers are firm. They’re designed to keep your teeth in place. The whitening trays, on the other hand, are purposefully made soft and flexible. They’re designed to be as comfortable as possible. That doesn’t make them good candidates for holding your teeth in place.

Your teeth will start shifting. It’s hard to tell exactly how soon. A lot of that depends on how long it’s been since your orthodontic treatment ended. The longer you’ve had the retainer, the more time you’ll have before they start drifting. Your age is also a factor. If your younger then mid- 20s, your jaw may still may still be growing. That will make it more likely for your teeth to shift.

This doesn’t mean your situation is hopeless. Most dentists are caring individuals. If you explain your situation, I’m sure your dentist or orthodontist will look for affordable solutions for you. They’ll likely even make you a new retainer and give you time to pay it out.

No one wants your teeth to shift, risking you losing all the progress of your treatment.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Worried My Wife Is Over-Whitening Her Teeth

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I want to say first thing that my wife has a gorgeous smile. It’s what first caught my attention about her.  When we were dating, I assumed she did some form of teeth whitening. What I didn’t know was quite how much.  We’ve been married for a few months now and she seems to do whitening “touch-ups” every month. Could this damage her teeth?

Lawrence F. – Cambridge, OH

Lawrence,

I have a couple of questions.

1. Is she doing touch-ups with over-the-counter gel or with professional gel her dentist gave her?

2. Does she smoke or drink coffee?

Most people choose to do touch-ups about once a year. Once a month makes sense if she has habits that could stain her teeth, such as smoking or drinking coffee.

Though, that being said, she could inadvertently be sabotaging herself.  The whitening procedure opens up pores in your teeth in order to really get that gel in there. It takes those pores a few weeks to close up. If she’s whitening her teeth every few weeks, it’s likely she picking up more stains than she would under normal circumstances.

Professional teeth whitening gel is much stronger than over-the-counter whitening. If she doesn’t have a different reason for touching-up so often, it will save her time and money to do it through her dentist once a year.

In most cases, it doesn’t hurt to whiten often. However, some signs she could be over-whitening are her teeth are becoming translucent or if she’s developing sensitivity.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Whitening Working for Every Tooth Except One

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I have a problem with my teeth whitening and I can’t figure out what’s going on. I had whitening done and had great results. But, I smoke a lot so they needed a touch-up. I decided to try white strips, because it was just a touch-up and didn’t want to spend full price. All my teeth are perking up except one. Instead, it’s rapidly deteriorating and looks gray.  Have you encountered this? I’ve even been wearing the strips overnight with no change.

Azida W. – Arkansas

Azida,

First, I just want to make sure you’re using whitestrips that have been approved for overnight use. Some are.  Those that aren’t should only be worn for a maximum of thirty minutes.

If the tooth is graying, it’s likely because it is either dead or dying. That often happens when the tooth has experienced some form of trauma.  That tooth won’t whiten. You could leave the whitening on 24/7 and it won’t change.

If the tooth has died, it’s going to need a root canal treatment. After this is done, you can address the color with more success.

For future reference, if  you’ve kept your teeth whitening trays from when you had it done at the dentist’s office, you can very affordably do touch-ups. Your dentist will just charge you for some new gel.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.

Teeth Whitening and Cavities

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At my last dental appointment they told me I have a cavity. It’s my first one. I didn’t know how to feel. The dentist also said if I wanted to whiten my teeth, now was the time. I’ve been talking about whitening my teeth for some time, which was why he mentioned it. However, I read online that you shouldn’t get your teeth whitened when you have cavities.

Missy – New Hampshire

Missy,

Well, you’re both right. They don’t recommend teeth whitening when you have cavities because of the sensitivity. A cavity opens your tooth, putting the whitening that much closer to the nerves.

However, if you get your teeth filled first, you have two choices. 1. You can guess at what level of whitening you’ll get and try to get the right color, or 2. Fill the cavity, have your teeth whitened, then re-do the whitening to match the new whiter teeth.

There are things you can do to help with the sensitivity. Start by using a fluoride rinse. Your dentist should be willing to give you a prescription rinse.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Theodore Hadgis.