Is there any pain involved with professional teeth whitening treatments?
There doesn't have to be any pain or discomfort associated with professional teeth whitening treatments. But just like with any type of peroxide-based teeth whitening, side effects can and do occur...
What type of side effects can be experienced during an in-office whitening treatment?
The peroxide bleaching agents that dentists use when they perform professional teeth whitening treatments are caustic in nature and can be very irritating to the soft tissues of the mouth. This is why a dentist performing in-office whitening goes to such great lengths to isolate their patient's teeth (by way of placing a dental dam). An important safety feature of standard in-office teeth bleaching procedure is to limit the peroxide whitener to tooth contact only.
During the treatment process it is possible that the teeth being bleached will become sensitive or experience some discomfort. Depending on the nature of the symptoms noticed, the dentist might decide that the treatment time should be cut short and the whitening process terminated.
If the potential for pain exists, you might wonder why a dentist doesn't just numb up a person's mouth before the bleaching process is begun. The reason they don't is because not using anesthetic helps to make the whitening procedure safer.
If the teeth become sensitive during the whitening process it serves as a warning sign to the dentist that possibly the treatment time should be reduced so the nerve tissue inside a tooth does not become seriously aggravated. Equally important, the presence of discomfort can warn the dentist that the dental dam is allowing peroxide to come into contact with gum tissue or else the person's lips or cheeks. If the patient's mouth had been numbed, these warning signals would not be available.
