How To Prevent Hypersensitivity During Teeth Whitening Treatments

Allie Webb - Feb 12 2021

How To Prevent Hypersensitivity During Teeth Whitening Treatments

Teeth whitening procedures are rapidly becoming one of the most commonly sought after cosmetic treatments all around the world. The total market value in the United States alone is over $3B! There are various options for teeth whitening from high concentration in-office treatments to simple at-home whitening strips. For dentists and hygienists, in-office whitening or at-home whitening kit sales can also be an excellent way to increase office revenue and create higher value patients.

When discussing whitening treatments, the #1 user complaint is tooth sensitivity during and after the procedure. This is by far the most important thing to combat and be mindful of when recommending and applying bleaching treatments.

Formula Concentration

To avoid hypersensitivity, one of the first things to look at is the concentration of the whitening agent. Some in-office professional formulas will have a high hydrogen peroxide content of 25-45%. These products are highly effective at quick whitening, however, they can be very abrasive, leaving demineralized teeth surfaces and painful gingiva and dentin. If you are using these high concentration products, it is important to use a very well-fitted tray to protect the gingiva as well as make sure any excess product is removed from the gum line.

Another option is to use a lower concentration hydrogen peroxide formula, such as our Hydra Pearl 6% HP Whitening Gel. It is uniquely formulated to have a high penetration rate and is able to offer comparable or improved whitening performance to higher concentration HP or CP formulas.

Shade increase after 5 treatments and 10 treatments.

Treatment Duration

Hydrogen Peroxide vs Carbamide Peroxide. Another strategy to avoid dentin sensitivity is to opt for teeth whitening products using hydrogen peroxide rather than carbamide peroxide. Carbamide peroxide has to break down into hydrogen peroxide in order to start actively whitening the teeth. This process adds about 10-15 minutes onto the overall treatment time. Due to this, the formula has greater risk of demineralizing the teeth surface and softening the dentin tubules, leading to sensitivity.

A well formulated, low-concentration HP product can offer highly-effective whitening performance without the pain often associated with othrer professional-grade treatments. The HP gets to work whitening the teeth immediately upon application, allowing for a shorter treatment time. Hydra Pearl’s effective treatment time is only 15 minutes, so patients with sensitive teeth can use the quick treatment time to get results without allowing the enamel to soften and risking nerve exposure.

However, clinical data has shown that duration is the most important factor determining whitening efficacy above concentration. With this knowledge in mind, we recommend using the low concentration hydrogen peroxide formula for an extended time (30-60 minutes) in order to get faster whitening results, versus increasing the concentration of the whitening agent itself.

If you are interested in testing out our Hydra Pearl for yourself, please contact us for a free sample including syringes and thermal fitting trays. We also offer free live demos via Zoom with our product representatives to demonstrate how to create the custom trays, explain the benefits behind our product, and provide marketing ideas and resources for you to promote whitening kits in your office.