Can You Use Teeth Whitening Gel While Wearing Braces?


A very popular and persistent question among those who are looking into teeth whitening gel is whether or not they can apply these gels while wearing braces.  It is certainly understandable that someone who is already taking enough care of their teeth to get braces would want to go the additional step in getting them whitened.  Unfortunately, there are definitely risks associated with attempting to whiten your teeth while you were still wearing your braces.

The one major risk, which is the most common reason why dentists and other professionals in the industry recommend not using whitening gel with braces on, is that the areas of your teeth which are covered by the metal brackets of your braces will not become whitened along with the rest of your exposed teeth.  If the surrounding areas of your teeth which are uncovered become whiter than the rest, it will be extremely noticeable once your braces are removed and will certainly look worse than before your whitening treatment began.  It is highly unlikely that someone wishing to improve the overall physical appearance of their smile would wish to let their eagerness of a better set of teeth given the way of quality results which wind up defeating the purpose.

It is highly advised by industry professionals that you wait until your braces come off before attempting to whiten the shading of your teeth with gel applicants or other types of whitening methods.  In the meantime, you should continue to use standard toothpaste and brush on a consistent basis to maintain your current shade of teeth.  Once your braces are removed, you are free to pursue whitening treatment and are no longer at risk of winding up with different shades on your teeth.

One thing you need understand is that while it might be incredibly frustrating dealing with stained teeth in addition to already wearing braces, it will be much more difficult to deal with in the future if you have teeth which sport two different shades of white due to your eagerness in jumping the gun at whiter teeth.  It is best that you wait for your braces to be taken off in order to receive a much more balanced whitening process as you will be much happier with the overall results.