Tooth Whitening

When carried out correctly, tooth whitening is a very safe and predictable treatment to improve the colour of your teeth. Tooth whitening can be carried out chairside, at home or a combination of both. The level of peroxide in the whitening system we use complies with current EU tooth whitening legislation.

Suitability for treatment

Whitening treatment is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18 years. Tooth whitening can only be carried out on healthy teeth, therefore whitening can only commence once you have had an examination and any necessary treatment carried out.

It is also important to remember that not every patient will achieve the same results. How white your teeth will go all depends on how discoloured your teeth are to begin with. Your teeth will only go as white as what your natural shade would be. Significant whitening is achieved in many cases but unfortunately there is no definite way to accurately predict how light your teeth will become. The area of tooth near the gum will not whiten as much. If your teeth are already a light shade of white, your additional whitening results could be minimal. The level of whiteness varies with each individual; therefore, you may or may not achieve a higher degree of whiteness. Any existing crowns, bridges or implants you have will not change shade with the whitening treatment.

Procedure length

Chairside whitening takes 1 hour to complete. For the home whitening kit you will need to book an appointment to have impressions taken by the dentist, who will have custom bleaching trays made up. When the custom trays are back from the dental lab, we will then demonstrate how the treatment works. You can then start the treatment at home which can take around 1-2 weeks. Your dentist will advise how long and how often to carry out the treatment.

Side Effects

Some patients may experience some minor sensitivity to teeth during treatment. This normally subsides quite quickly.

After Treatment

Once treatment is complete it is important to maintain the results by following good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. Avoiding strongly coloured foods, drinks and smoking will also help to maintain results.