{"id":55,"date":"2025-05-03T02:06:12","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T02:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wesmiledentaltx.com\/blog\/?p=55"},"modified":"2025-06-19T02:07:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T02:07:53","slug":"why-teeth-whitening-and-cavities-do-not-mix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wesmiledentaltx.com\/blog\/why-teeth-whitening-and-cavities-do-not-mix\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Teeth Whitening &amp; Cavities Don\u2019t Mix"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wesmiledentaltx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-300x200.png\" alt=\"a patient chatting with their dentist about teeth whitening\" class=\"wp-image-56\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wesmiledentaltx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wesmiledentaltx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wesmiledentaltx.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image.png 975w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wesmiledentaltx.com\/teeth-whitening.html\">Teeth whitening<\/a> is one of the most popular cosmetic dental treatment options today\u2014and for good reason. A brighter smile can boost your confidence and help you feel more comfortable in social and professional settings. But when you have a dental issue like a cavity, it\u2019s natural to wonder how this can impact the aspirations you have for your smile. While you shouldn\u2019t whiten your teeth if you have untreated cavities, visiting your dentist for assistance is a sure way to get things back on track and guarantee successful cosmetic results. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why You Shouldn\u2019t Whiten Teeth with Cavities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A cavity is a hole in your tooth that\u2019s caused by decay, and it greatly weakens the structure of your enamel, or the outermost layer that gives teeth their color and protects them from bacteria. When you apply whitening agents to decayed teeth, several problems can arise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Increased sensitivity or pain, since the products can seep into the inner, more delicate layers of the affected teeth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Worsening of decay, since bleaching agents can sometimes irritate or damage exposed nerves and slow down the healing or restorative process once the cavity has been treated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uneven color, since whitening doesn\u2019t change the color of existing restorations or fillings, and decayed areas may also respond differently to bleaching agents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Your Dentist Can Treat Cavities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before starting any whitening treatment, it\u2019s important to have your dentist examine your smile and ensure that you\u2019re a suitable candidate. Tooth decay is one of the most common health issues in the world, meaning that treating it is fairly routine for dentists!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fillings are the go-to method for cavities, but for serious infections that reach the pulp, or innermost portion of the tooth, a root canal followed by a dental crown restoration is often the preferred method. With any cavity, large or small, your dentist will work closely with you to ensure that your treatment plan prioritizes the long-term health of your smile\u2014that way, you can focus on keeping things healthy so when the time comes for teeth whitening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, if you are suffering from a cavity, it\u2019s very much something that can be treated\u2014and once your oral health is back on track, attention can be turned to improving your pearly whites!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Our team here at We Smile Dental of Arlington has proudly served the dental needs of patients in Arlington and the nearby DFW metroplex for several years, offering a wide variety of services, including cosmetic options like teeth whitening. We\u2019d be more than happy to speak with you about your smile goals; feel free to visit us <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wesmiledentaltx.com\/contact.html\">online<\/a> or call today for more information or to schedule an appointment! <strong>Telephone: (682) 452-1150.<\/strong> &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Teeth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic dental treatment options today\u2014and for good reason. A brighter smile can boost your confidence and help you feel more comfortable in social and professional settings. But when you have a dental issue like a cavity, it\u2019s natural to wonder how this can impact the aspirations you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.13 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why Teeth Whitening and Cavities Don&#039;t Mix | We Smile Dental of Arlington<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you have a cavity, here\u2019s why you should seek treatment before you think about undergoing teeth whitening to brighten your smile.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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