Just in case any one of ya’ll are thinking of having the dentist whiten your teeth, here’s what happened to my eldest daughter yesterday-
She went to her dentist to have the “Zoom” teeth whitening treatment and left in extreme pain, to the point that the Dr. gave her several prescriptions for pain and swelling. This morning I missed work to take her to the emergency room where it was determined that she now has second degree chemical burns on her lower lip. The swelling and pain is intense.
What really makes me mad is that she was given a pad and pencil to communicate to them during the procedure and many times wrote that her lips were burning. They just assumed it was the normal discomfort of having her lips open and streached for a long period of time! No one bothered to actually check her mouth. She was not advised that chemical burns were a risk with this procedure or she would not have had it done. We also paid a visit to the dentist so he and his staff could see what they had done. They were horrified to say the least. She was told it will be several days before she will be able to talk or eat normally or even be able to go back to work.
So, think about the risk if you, or anyone you know is considering this.
The only teeth whitening treatment I use is baking soda.
I have noticed most dentists don’t really listen to their patients. I’m somewhat resistant
to novacaine, and was told many, many times that I wasn’t really in pain. Eventually
I got someone who was listening to me, and with twice or three times the usual dose of
novacaine, all of the sudden it doesn’t hurt. So, anyway, there -are- dentists out there who
actually listen to their patients. I’ve found one. I recommend you leave your dentist and find one
who actually listens to his (or her) patients. (Actually, both times I’ve had dentists that actually
listen to me, they were female. Not a statistically valid sampling or anything, but just noting.)
I hope your daughter gets better completely and soon.
Similar feelings to others. It’s one of those little vanity things that I think about but don’t act on. I see those strips on teevee but I understand that they can leave marks that show exactly what you did!
I hadn’t mentioned this before, but at my last cleaning, the hygienist asked me if I smoke because she noticed a discoloration right in that front area. As I don’t, I wonder if the brass whistle is capable of leaving stain marks. I have been playing on the brass Eb an awful lot lately.
I had a friend in college who was a member of what used to pass for “high society” in Houston–descendant of a major player in the Texas Revolution, old money, etc. He mentioned several times that overly white teeth are “low class”.
I hope your daughter gets better soon. The tissue in our mouths is so sensitive, it must just be dreadful. I think those people are not qualified to do this treatment. I hope they consider not doing it anymore or at least not until they get some better training.
That’s an excellent point. I asked my dentist about whitening treatments. She pointed out that ultra brilliantly white teeth are not natural. I hadn’t thought of it in these terms.
She also pointed out that dentists are divided on all whitening treatments. These are all known to cause weakening of the enamel in the long term, whether you buy the stuff shown on tv, or professionally applied.
I was getting cancors on my tongue from using toothpaste with whiteners. She told me that none of the bleaching agents used in tooth paste should ever be applied topically (i.e. lips, gums, tongue, inner cheeks, etc.). These are usually some form of hydrogen peroxide, and are not good for your health. I was directed to go as far as toothpaste with baking soda and no further.
Just a note for those of you who use Sonic care or similar power brushes: I found that these leave some baking soda ground right into the teeth. All I could taste for days afterwards was baking soda. Yech!
Before I got my braces I had to get a couple of baby teeth pulled. I sat in the chair and waited 15 minutes while the dentist looked at pictures from one of his assistant’s vacations and then gave me the novacaine and immediately pulled out my teeth without letting it kick in. One of the molars had roots that were longer than the tooth that were yanked out of my mouth without any numbing. (OUCH!!!) I have since gotten a new dentist, but in so many areas finding a quality one is very difficult, if not impossible.
I hope your daughter gets better, and hope they hadn’t done something like that to other patients.
One of the molars had roots that were longer than the tooth that were yanked out of my mouth without any numbing. (OUCH!!!) I have since gotten a new dentist, but in so many areas finding a quality one is very difficult, if not impossible.