G asks: "My teeth are very sensitive after using crest white strips?"

Today was my first time using the white strips. I have a sharp pain in my tooth after having the strip on for only like 5 minutes. I don't think i am going to continue using them. Is this normal to have such a sharp pain after a short time? Will this pain go away soon?



Every person reacts to whitening differently but it's common for teeth to become sensitive after whitening.

The reason you're teach are sensitive is because the whitening solution opens pores in the tooth's surface in order to bleach them out. The pain will go away after a few days because plaque will form over those microscopic tubules and once they're covered, you'll be fine.

If you want to speed up the process, you can close them up yourself. Using fluoride helps a lot. You can wipe toothpaste onto the sensitive areas and leave it on as long as you can. After you spit it out, try not to rinse. That might help after a few tries, otherwise a fluoride rinse could help.

If it's really bad, Ambesol gel works really well or any similar oral product found at your drug store.