Q
I have always heard that I can’t whiten my teeth since I use smokeless tobacco and since whitening opens the pores in the teeth, I could ultimately make the color worse. Is that true? Then my thought was to whiten before bed then the pores would have a chance to close overnight. Would that be a sound approach or do the pores stay open longer than that? Thanks -Brian Morris
A
Brian, you can still whiten your teeth even if you use smokeless tobacco. In the past, dentists commonly warned against whitening if a patient consumed coffee, red wine, smoked, or used chew. That guidance has changed because clinical experience and research show those restrictions are unnecessary. Whitening does make the tooth surface slightly more permeable for a short time because the pellicle—the thin protein film on the enamel—can be altered by bleaching gels. In practice, however, this brief change has not been shown to produce more long-term staining.
If you remain concerned, a conservative approach is to use a lower-strength whitening protocol. For example, a 10% carbamide peroxide gel placed in a custom-made tray for about an hour a day is effective and tends to cause less sensitivity than overnight wear. Applying this after brushing in the evening is reasonable, but the timing (day versus night) does not change how long the tooth surface stays slightly more porous. The mild increase in permeability is transient and does not typically lead to deeper, permanent staining.
Remember that substances such as coffee, red wine, and tobacco produce extrinsic stains—surface discoloration that adheres to enamel. Professional tray-based whitening produces an intrinsic change by bleaching the tooth structure itself. While whitening helps improve the tooth color, it does not remove surface deposits. The only way to eliminate stubborn extrinsic stains is with a professional dental cleaning performed by your hygienist.
For someone who uses chewing tobacco, regular hygiene visits are important. See your hygienist every six months, or more frequently if recommended, to remove surface stains and maintain oral health.
When it comes to whitening, a custom tray system provided by your dentist is a reliable option. It balances effectiveness with reduced sensitivity compared with stronger, overnight protocols.
Beyond aesthetics, the primary concern with chewing tobacco is health risk. Chewing tobacco increases the risk of oral cancer and other serious health problems, and nicotine can contribute to bruxism (teeth grinding), which accelerates wear and damage to teeth.
Nicotine in chewing tobacco can increase destructive grinding, causing premature wear and tear on teeth.
If you continue to use chewing tobacco, get an oral cancer screening from your dentist at least twice a year.
To be frank, ongoing tobacco use can undermine dental health to the point that whitening becomes irrelevant if significant damage or tooth loss occurs.
Mark Burhenne DDS