When we get our teeth whitened, it isn’t unusual for us to have a bit of tooth sensitivity for a while afterwards. Because there are chemicals involved in the teeth whitening treatments, it can cause your mouth to feel a bit tender. But what can we do to make it stop? If can be as easy as chewing gum.
A tooth can become sensitive for a different reason. As the enamel wears down, your teeth become increasingly prone to pain when drinking or eating certain foods. Receding gums can also play a major role in causing your teeth to become sensitive and there are lots of reasons gums can recede. Dentin exposure can cause your teeth (and their roots) to no longer have all of the protection our gums and tooth enamel provide. It is this that causes the pain we feel.
A study was published in the British Dental Journal stating 88 patients were broken into three groups prior to receiving an in-office teeth whitening – patients without chewing gum, patients with sugar-free gum, and patients with sugar-free gum that also included Recaldent, a product that helps strengthen tooth enamel by adding calcium & phosphate to its list of ingredients. After the procedure, those patients with gum were asked to begin chewing. Those that chewed on a piece of chewing gum had significantly less pain than the group that went without.
The theory is that perhaps the increased saliva production gave the patient some type of relief. Or perhaps, the act of chewing gum made the patient forget about the pain altogether. What they did find is that the Recaldent chewing gum did not make a difference.
If you have questions or concerns about the effects of chewing gum, make an appointment today with Dr. Philip Schnall at 212-247-7059 or visit our website at www.philipschnalldmd.com.
Dr. Schnall proudly serves New York and all surrounding areas.