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Tooth Whitening Treatments
The best way to keep your smile healthy and bright is to look after your teeth and gums. However, it’s not unusual to need a little help.
Our professional teeth bleaching treatments can improve discolouration simply and safely without damaging the enamel or any other part of your teeth.
Tooth whitening or bleaching is a well-established and routine procedure in dentistry. The treatment is most effective on teeth that have become discoloured from everyday activities like drinking tea, coffee and red wine.
Treatment may also be effective if you smoke or your teeth have lost their whiteness with age.
Considerations before tooth whitening treatment?
A thorough clinical examination is required for all patients prior to the teeth whitening procedure. We will consider the structure of your teeth, oral health and suitability for treatment.
Darker stains such as those caused by antibiotics are more difficult to whiten so your dentist will explore all options with you if this is the case.
To get the best results possible, we also recommended that you visit the hygienist so any existing surface stains are removed before we begin your treatment.
What is the procedure?
Following a full clinical examination to check the suitability for tooth bleaching we will take impressions of your teeth so we can create custom-made trays for you to use at home.
A home whitening kit is a convenient and affordable alternative to In-office chair-side whitening while still providing excellent results to improve the colour and appearance of your teeth.
We will discuss the current colour (shade) of the teeth and what shade of white you can expect. At the following appointment the bleaching trays are fitted, and we will provide you with specific instructions on how to use the trays and bleaching gel.
How long will it take?
Using the bleaching trays and gel, either for 2-4 hours during the day or overnight, tooth bleaching normally takes around 2 weeks (14 applications), however for patients with much darker teeth it can longer.
When is tooth bleaching not suitable?
Tooth bleaching cannot be carried out on existing dental restorations which includes crowns, bridges and dentures, it is only effective on natural teeth.
Is tooth bleaching safe?
Tooth bleaching has been performed for many years and the research shows it to be a safe procedure. As tooth bleaching is a treatment described as an Act of Dentistry only dental professionals such as dentists, therapists and hygienists are legally able to provide tooth bleaching as patient’s oral health and individual therapeutic needs must be assessed before the procedure is undertaken.
How long will teeth whitening results last?
Performed correctly the results last for 18-24 months before a ‘top up’ is required. This involves seeing your dentist or hygienist again to ensure the mouth is healthy followed by repeating the use of the custom-made trays with bleaching gel at home.
Will my teeth be sensitive?
The bleaching gel has a desensitising agent in it to limit sensitivity. We recommend using a toothpaste for sensitive teeth when whitening. Your dentist will provide further advice on this at your appointment.
Where existing teeth have been previously sensitive, this could be exacerbated by the bleaching treatment. This for the most part will be temporary.
Will whitening toothpaste and over the counter alternatives achieve the same result?
Whitening toothpastes can help remove surface stains from the tooth but they will not bleach the teeth or alter the colour.
Many pharmacies and websites sell teeth whitening kits, LED lights or whitening strips for use at home. Please be aware that these products don’t always work, and some of them can adversely affect your teeth and gums and are therefore not recommended.
Our advice is to have teeth whitening done under the guidance of your dentist.
