Whether you're opting for an at-home or in-office treatment, teeth whitening can refresh your smile and leave you feeling more confident. However, it's well worth having your teeth checked for cavities and then having those cavities restored before you move ahead with any such treatment. If you don't, you'll risk everything from excessive discomfort to poor whitening results.
With that in mind, here are just four reasons why you should have cavities restored before whitening your teeth.
1. Avoid Excessive Sensitivity
Most patients will experience some level of sensitivity when they whiten their teeth. While discomfort can be unpleasant, it should be manageable. Unfortunately, teeth with untreated cavities can experience extreme sensitivity when exposed to whitening agents since those agents can bypass your enamel and reach the far more sensitive dentin or pulp below. As such, you may experience acute sensitivity that lasts for several days when you whiten teeth that have untreated cavities.
2. Prevent Permanent Damage
Tooth decay is obviously something you want to avoid, and it can actually get worse when exposed to the bleaching agents used in professional teeth whitening treatments. While those bleaching agents are perfectly fine for healthy tooth enamel, areas that have become decayed can become softer and more vulnerable to further damage when exposed to them. As such, whitening decayed teeth can actually lead to permanent damage.
3. Match Whitening to Restorations
When you have a cavity, your dentist will be able to restore the tooth by drilling away any decay and then either placing a filling or, less commonly, a crown. If you want to have your teeth whitened, it makes sense to have that restorative work performed before the shade of your teeth is changed. Doing so means you can opt for restorations slightly whiter than the current shade of your teeth – once whitening begins, the rest of your teeth can be brought up to that new level of whiteness.
4. Remove Dark Spots
In most cases, any discolouration of your teeth will be caused by surface staining. However, the decay that causes cavities can also cause teeth to take on a slightly darker appearance. You might assume this darkness comes from surface stains and can be fixed using conventional whitening methods, but this is not the case. Whitening treatments are not effective for the discolouration caused by tooth decay. If you want to get rid of that darkness, you'll need to have the decay removed and the cavity restored.
Contact a local dentist to learn more about dental examinations.
Share24 April 2023
As a mother, I've seen my kids' faces light up after they've lost a tooth – oh, the excitement they feel about getting their grown up teeth! However, I've also seen my kids become extremely scared and anxious after having an adult tooth knocked out. If you're a mom or a dad with a busy kid, chances are you might see a tooth knocked out in a skateboarding accident or a sport pile-up. This blog is dedicated to those moments when you could lose your wits, and it's here to ensure you don't. I am collecting and curating the best information about kids and dental emergencies here so that you will have it when you need it. Best of luck with your kids' smiles!
