Teeth whitening is the most common and easiest cosmetic dental procedure, although over half of the public has never tried it.  And a recent poll revealed why – the fear of sensitivity.

We have several methods to remedy this.  A desensitizer is used for the 1 hour Power Bleaching and Deep Bleaching that helps to plug the exposed tubules inside the teeth.  Another helpful product is MI Paste, which is a mixture of calcium, phosphorous, and fluoride – what we like to call tooth vitamins.  But, what if these don’t give you the results you are after?  Or, what if you just have sensitive teeth prior to any whitening?  There is a new solution to this issue which may surprise you.

We all know that sugar-free gum is good for teeth, but can it really aid in relieving the dreaded tooth sensitivity?  Researches performed a study to determine if chewing sugar-free gum containing Recaldent (the same ingredient in MI Paste) could reduce the incidence, duration, and intensity of whitening-induced tooth sensitivity.

The findings might provide supporting evidence for a simple and cost-effective treatment modality that could enhance patients’ comfort in the future, according to the researchers.

The doctors evaluated patients undergoing teeth whitening treatment.  The findings – those who chewed sugar-free gum (with or without Recaldent) after whitening saw drastic relief from sensitivity.  The study found that the reduced sensitivity is from increased saliva from gum chewing and also by distracting the pain perception centers in the brain by chewing.  The authors also noted that one possible reason Recaldent gum was not more effective could be the relatively low concentration in the chewing gum that they used (0.6% in Trident Xtra Care versus 10% in MI Paste).

The vast majority of patients have very minimal sensitivity, but some just have sensitive teeth – plain and simple.  So if the Sensodyne isn’t working, if the desensitizers aren’t doing the job, or if the MI paste just isn’t cutting it, try chewing sugar-free gum – can’t hurt!

Related Articles:

Whitening – Before and After

Can Whitening Harm Tooth Enamel?

Which Toothpaste is Best?

Teeth Whitening Myths Uncovered

Related Links:

Greystone Smile Design

Greystone Smile Design Blog

Two ways chewing gum can aid in the cleaning of teeth:  1)  Gum actually mechanically cleans teeth as you chew, and 2) Gum acts to promote saliva which can decrease the bacteria, decrease acidity, and remineralize teeth. 

So, let me back up – Bacteria in the mouth produces lactic acid which causes a demineralization (cavity) of enamel – and gum helps fight all three!

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