Teeth Whitening in Coraopolis, PA

At Robinson Township Smiles, Dr. Ryan Rupert offers take-home teeth whitening treatments that work. Unlike by-the-box or over-the-counter options, Dr. Rupert will create custom-molded plastic trays of your teeth. This ensures that the bleaching gel he places in the trays stays on your teeth instead of spreading to your gums or your mouth. Because these take-home trays are specifically designed for you, they are much more effective at removing surface stains, offering better results and achieving them more comfortably. 

Take-home teeth whitening is excellent for patients who want to whiten their teeth on their own time, but still want the strength and quality of a professional whitening treatment. This flexible option from Robinson Township Smiles gives you the bright smile you’ve been looking for. 

Yes. Teeth whitening is completely safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. The chemical reaction that “bleaches” the stains off of your teeth takes place entirely in your mouth, and you won’t digest or swallow any of the peroxide or other products used to whiten your teeth.

However, the ADA does not recommend whitening while pregnant. While teeth whitening has not been proven to have any risks to your baby, it can make pregnancy-related oral health issues worse.

This is because pregnant women often have issues like:

Bleeding or swollen gums due to hormonal changes during pregnancy

Tooth erosion and weakening due to stomach acid from morning sickness

An increased risk of cavities due to cravings for sugary foods

Pyogenic granulomas, which are fleshy growths on the gums that sometimes appear during pregnancy

To avoid complications and keep your mouth healthy, it’s best to wait to have your teeth whitened until you’ve delivered your baby. 

Professional whitening at Robinson Township Smiles will not damage your teeth or gums. Dr. Ryan Rupert will customize your treatment to ensure that your teeth are not over-whitened, and he will use special barriers to protect your gums from irritation during the whitening process.

However, DIY teeth whitening with over-the-counter whitening products or whitening kits purchased from the internet can pose a threat to your gums and your teeth. Many of these kits have very high levels of peroxide, which means you may damage your teeth by over-whitening them, or irritate your gums.

Over-whitening your teeth can cause them to become weak and vulnerable to decay. Your teeth may become translucent, chalky or brittle if they are over-whitened. This is not reversible. 

DIY teeth whitening products can also irritate and inflame your gums if the peroxide contacts them. Your gums are very delicate, so you will notice pain, sensitivity and redness if they’re being touched by peroxide while you whiten your teeth.

Because of these risks, we recommend choosing professional teeth whitening from a trusted dentist in Robinson Township. If you must whiten your teeth at home, you can increase your safety by using an FDA-approved whitening product like Crest Whitestrips. FDA-approved whitening kits have relatively low levels of whitener, which reduces the risks of over-whitening. 

The precise cause of teeth whitening-induced sensitivity has not been confirmed by medical studies. However, the leading theory has to do with dentinal tubules, or microtubules. These microscopic tubes connect the outside of your teeth to the nerves within each tooth. This allows you to feel sensations through the surface of your teeth.

When your teeth are whitened, the peroxide can demineralize your teeth, weakening them very slightly. This, in turn, is believed to expose the microtubules within your teeth, which results in sensitivity to heat and cold. Once treatment is discontinued, the enamel becomes stronger and these tubules are sealed up, which eliminates whitening-induced sensitivity. 

Teeth whitening sensitivity will eventually go away on its own, so it’s nothing to worry about. But if you have very sensitive teeth, you should discuss this with Dr. Ryan Rupert before your treatment begins. He may recommend a less intensive whitening treatment to minimize discomfort.