The Unfortunate Risks Of Tooth Whitening Gels


There are many considerations to take before deciding on whether or not you should use a professional tooth whitening gel. With rewards come risks and you must decide if you’d like to take the chance. It is worth knowing that not everyone who attempts to whiten their teeth with gels comes away a satisfied customer. I have outlined the major risks and concerns in my other posts, so feel free to brush up on them before reading the rest of this entry.

How bad do you want whiter teeth? Are you willing to put up with a gel mouth tray that might not fit all the way onto your mouth resulting in slight burns to your gum line? This can result in scarred and tainted membrane colors which are incredibly painful as well as unsightly to look. This is definitely not a very common problem with tooth whitening gels but cases have been reported and you definitely should know what CAN happen, despite how unlikely the chances are it may occur. It is always best to be made aware of the worst case scenarios so in the unlikely event that they do occur you will know what to do and how to handle the situation. Being familiar with unlikely scenarios is definitely a helping hand when it comes to remedying the problem.

Are you comfortable putting the sensitivity of your teeth on the line in exchange for their overall physical appearance? Which would you rather have, a nice set of teeth which are pretty to look at or the chance that they MAY become sensitive. Even if the odds aren’t very high, something as serious as sensitive teeth will play a huge part in your life, making eating a negative experience. It’s certainly possible that eating your favorite foods might cause slight discomfort. Beauty has a price when using tooth whitening gels.

It’s also possible that even if you do get that bright, white smile that you’ve always dreamed about it will fade away after only a few weeks. Talk about not getting what you paid for! Yep, certain studies conducted have displayed that some treatments for bleaching at home can actually make your teeth darken after 30 days have gone past. That’s right, results are not guaranteed to be permanent and you could easily lose the glow on your pearly whites even with the aid of a tooth whitening gel.

Not only can your smile reduce in white glow, but the enamel coating your chompers might also be weakened. This is an unfortunate side effect called teeth whitening rebound. It’s not a common side effect and studies over long periods have proven that it’s not a significant amount. But even so, this risk is something that should be highly considered and taken into account before a final decision has been made.

How old are you? If you aren’t 18 or older, these procedures probably aren’t for you. Children’s teeth still have undeveloped nerves which need to fully grow and mature before being tampered with by a professional tooth whitening gel. Hopefully your children won’t need the aid of these gels anyway as they are still young enough to fix their teeth with simpler methods. In addition to the still growing nerves in the teeth, many children won’t be able to go on with these procedures because they are still wearing braces and it is not recommended that you undergo teeth whitening while wearing braces. It is unlikely that a child would need the assistance of laser teeth whitening procedures anyway.

Are you currently carrying a baby? Pregnant mothers are also not recommended for this process. Mothers who are also still lactating may be at extra risk as well. Please talk to a doctor before committing to any course of action.

These are all considerations that you need to heavily weigh before deciding on whitening your teeth. I highly suggest that you do all of your research before using any type of tooth whitening gel.

The Truth About Teeth Whitener Gel


As with all surgical or physical enhancement procedures, there are some risks associated with the process. Despite teeth whitener gel being a relatively safe thing to apply to oneself, there are inherent dangers with the process. I have listed below the most common risks associated with the product:

Certain teeth whitener gels can produce chemical burns if an oxidizing agent of high-concentration comes into contact with tissues which are unprotected. This can result in discolored membranes. The most common cause of this are the trays not fitting properly around areas of the mouth, letting it leak out and cause burns. This can be quite painful and leave scarring.

Your teeth may also become sensitive to the touch. This is one of the most unfortunate and painful side effects that can happen as a result of whitening. Not being able to eat food properly due to pain and sensitivity is not a fun thing to experience.

Another risk is over bleaching your teeth, a self explanatory affliction known by dentists and teeth care professionals as “over white teeth“. Studies have shown that the whiteness gained by gels can go away after a few weeks after the treatment and sometimes the shades can retract back to a darker shade than originally. This is a major concern as you’d be paying to get your smile brightened and might wind up with the exact opposite effect.

One of the most common and feared side effects are your teeth losing their whiteness, a symptom referred to as “rebound” by industry professionals. Certain studies have shown that sometimes your teeth indeed actually darken up to an amount of 4 shades after a 30 day period has passed.

Studies have also shown that home bleaching treatments, such as an at home tooth whitener gel package can slightly reduce the enamel on your teeth. However, long term studies have shown this reduction to be of an insignificant amount. So don’t worry, your enamel is safe with these home procedures.

The most frequent risks involved with these processes are sensitivity in the tooth as well as an increase in irritability in the gums, more frequently occurring in the beginning stages of the procedure. Believe it or not, the culprit isn’t the dreaded agent which actually bleaches your teeth, it’s an improperly fitted mouth piece tray which spreads the tooth whitener gel. These symptoms usually ease up and completely cease bothering patients after one to three days.

Teeth whitener gel is not recommended for anyone under the age of 17, due to the nerves in the teeth not being completely developed. It would be unfortunate if your child received stunted teeth growth due to something that might be deemed unnecessary for her age bracket. Pregnant women who are currently lactating should also consider waiting before bleaching their teeth.