Whiten Up

By: Woodford House Dental
Created on 09th November 2009

The experts at Woodford House Dental explain why tooth whitening is the perfect entry-level procedure - a beautiful brighter smile without the pain, downtime and cost associated with other procedures

It is well known that first impressions last and more often than not the first thing that people notice about you is your smile. A beautiful smile can do more to enhance your appearance than nearly anything else. With the ever increasing desire to look younger and more confident tooth whitening is one of the easiest ways in which to achieve this.

We've all read about tooth whitening in the press or seen it on TV programmes such as 10 Years Younger and Extreme Makeover, but not everyone is aware of what it entails.

What is tooth whitening?

Using tooth whitening gels, the colour of your teeth is lightened. These products contain peroxide(s), which actually whiten the tooth itself rather than just removing staining. The peroxide gels come in different concentrations - the higher the concentration, the more effective the whitening can be.

Why the dentist?

As many have discovered, the products bought over the counter are often not very effective with poor fitting trays and weak products. Often the results are disappointing. Many people experience gum irritation and increased sensitivity by not using professional products. The dental practice is the safest place to have your teeth whitened. And now you can leave the practice a little over an hour later with the whiter teeth that you wanted.

The options

Teeth can be whitened by a dentist, in just one appointment by using power and laser whitening products. By protecting the gums and lips the dentist prevents any unnecessary damage that may otherwise occur in the hands of someone less skilled and not professionally trained. This takes little more than an hour.

Alternatively you can use a professional home whitening kit, under the supervision of your dentist. With custom made whitening trays which fit your mouth perfectly, you avoid any of the whitening gel causing unnecessary gum irritation or damage.

Home whitening may take up to seven days or more to achieve the best results, although white teeth can be seen after just one application.

What tooth whitening can and can't do

Results can never be guaranteed as to how effective the whitening will be. However, everyone will experience some degree of colour change/whitening. To have a dramatic change you may wish to consider porcelain laminate veneers, where you can choose the colour of your smile.

Whitening will not alter the colour of fillings, crowns or any other existing dental work, so you may have to have old dental work replaced to match your whitened teeth. Teeth that have stains or grey marks caused by childhood use of the antibiotic tetracycline are harder to whiten, and the results may be less successful.

After treatment, the colour of your teeth is altered. To avoid treated teeth becoming stained again, you should avoid/reduce smoking and steer clear of strongly coloured drinks, such as red wine, espresso coffee and cranberry juice.

THE DENTIST CAN TELL YOU...

• Are you suitable for tooth whitening?
• Will it work? There are some people on whom tooth whitening may not be effective
• Identify tooth decay which if left untreated, will cause pain while using tooth whitening products
• Identify gum disease or staining and plaque deposits which will prevent a successful result and may cause unnecessary irritation and pain to gum tissue
• How effective tooth whitening will be if you have 'blotchy teeth', crowns, and bridges, darkly stained teeth or white fillings

CS&AM