Is teeth whitening safe?

[Sanaz]

Hello

I need to have my teeth whitened for my wedding next month and I have seen my dentist for a teeth whitening consultation. He says that due to my gum recession and tooth sensitivity he does not recommend teeth whitening my teeth as he feels the teeth sensitivity could be severe. I asked him, if there is any other way to whiten my teeth and he suggested using teeth whitening toothpaste. I have been using the whitening toothpaste for the past three weeks and it has made no noticeable change to the colour of my teeth. Do you think it would be safe to do teeth whitening and do you recommend that I do teeth whitening before my wedding?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

If you have gum recession and tooth root exposure, teeth whitening is more likely to produce more sensitivity if the whitening gel comes into contact with exposed tooth root dentinal tubules. It might be possible to cover up the exposed root surfaces with protection dam and do chairside whitening of the enamel only. Teeth whitening only whitens enamel anyway, so exposed dentine will never whiten regardless but can be very sensitive if teeth whitening gel is applied to it. I would recommend that you book for a whitening consultation so that we can assess your teeth to see if teeth whitening is safe in your case.