Enlighten trays - i can't help swallowing the gel

[thelovelyrachel]

I have been using the custom trays you made me with the enlighten gel i was given but i find that when i'm wearing the trays i salivate more than normal and can't help swallowing a bit of the gel. Is this danerous and is there anything i can do to prevent it? Thanks

[Dr Ehsan J. Esfahani]

Hello Rachel,

Thank you for your post.

It is common to salivate more than normal when wearing bleaching trays loaded with gel. This is a normal reaction of the mouth. If you are swallowing gel this should be looked at, but a small amount of gel can be swallowed without causing harm.

I suggest you book a whitening review appointment with your dentist. We will look at the way you are loading gel in your trays and also the fit of the bleaching trays. If you are loading too much gel it will come out of the trays and you end up swallowing it. Only apply 1-2 drops of gel in each tooth reservoir. Excess gel on the gums should be wipped immediately. Occasioanlly the fit of the trays can be improved. We can also look at the concentration of the bleaching gel and this can be reduced if necessary. Reduced sensitivity can also reduce salivation. Hope this helps.