"Cold water felt like tiny electric shocks."
Yeah, that's a pretty common reaction actually. Whitening treatments can temporarily open up the tiny pores in your teeth, making them super sensitive for a few days. Next time, try using a desensitizing toothpaste (like Sensodyne or similar) for about a week before your appointment—it usually helps take the edge off. Glad things settled down eventually though...and hey, at least now you know what to expect!
"Whitening treatments can temporarily open up the tiny pores in your teeth, making them super sensitive for a few days."
Yeah, I've heard that explanation before too, but honestly... I'm not sure if it's always just temporary. I had my teeth whitened professionally about six months ago, and ever since then, they've stayed noticeably more sensitive. Before the treatment, cold drinks never bothered me at all, but now I have to brace myself every time I sip something chilly. It's not unbearable or anything—just kind of annoying and unexpected.
I did try Sensodyne like you mentioned (and a few other brands too), and while it definitely helped a bit, it didn't completely fix the issue for me. Maybe my teeth are just extra sensitive or something? But it makes me wonder if professional whitening is really worth it for everyone. I mean, yeah, my teeth look great now—but at what cost?
Don't get me wrong; I'm glad your sensitivity settled down eventually! Maybe mine will too over time. But I think it's important for people considering whitening treatments to know that sometimes the sensitivity can linger longer than just a few days. Everyone's experience seems pretty different with this stuff.
Anyway, just wanted to share my perspective since it wasn't exactly the same as yours. Hope your teeth stay comfy from here on out... sensitive teeth are no joke!
Yeah, same here... my sensitivity lasted way longer than just a few days. Took almost two months before cold drinks stopped bothering me.
Honestly, I think some of us just react differently to whitening treatments."Maybe my teeth are just extra sensitive or something?"
Yeah, totally feel you on that sensitivity thing... I just had mine whitened for the first time last week and I'm still nervously sipping everything through a straw, lol. Did you find anything that helped ease the discomfort faster? My dentist recommended some sensitivity toothpaste, but I'm not sure if that's actually doing much yet. Wondering if it's just a waiting game or if there's something else worth trying.
I've done whitening a few times now, and honestly, sensitivity toothpaste never really did much for me either. I mean, it might help a bit if you use it consistently for weeks beforehand, but once the sensitivity hits after whitening, I think it's mostly just about waiting it out. One thing I found helpful though was using fluoride gel trays (my dentist gave me some samples). Basically, you wear them for like 5-10 minutes after whitening, and they seem to calm things down quicker than toothpaste alone. Also, room temperature drinks rather than anything too cold or hot made a noticeable difference.
I know the straw thing sounds logical, but tbh I didn't find it that helpful—felt like the air hitting my teeth actually made things worse sometimes. Maybe that's just me though... everyone's different. Anyway, hope your teeth settle down soon—it usually only lasts a few days for me.
