Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is an excellent way to freshen up your smile. Stained or discoloured teeth can leave you feeling unattractive and lead to low self-esteem. In just over an hour, whitening can give you back the beautiful smile you deserve.

Over time, teeth gradually yellow in colour. If you drink coffee, tea or red wine, or if you smoke, your teeth will become even more stained and discoloured. Teeth whitening is an effective way of lightening the natural colour of your teeth without removing any of the tooth surface. With today's variety of teeth whitening methods and technologies your smile can easily be whitened in a number of ways.

Teeth whitening may be carried out at home using special mouth trays and a mild bleaching agent or at the dentist where a much stronger light activated agent is carefully applied to the teeth. Sometimes a combination of both techniques is carried out depending on the condition of the dentition.

There are 2 ways to whiten teeth:

Option 1:  Laser or Power teeth whitening

This is the best way to get results quickly. The whitening gel is activated by a special blue lamp that accelerates the teeth whitening process. Typically this takes about an hour. It is best to follow up the power teeth whitening with 2-3 days of home teeth whitening to ensure the best possible result as this will stabilise the colour change achieved. This also allows topping up of the teeth whitening over time. The period of home teeth whitening is considerably shorter if power teeth whitening is carried out first.

Option 2:  Home (Tray) whitening

Custom fitted soft whitening trays are made into which the whitening gel is placed. Typically they have to be worn for 2 hours a day, but can be worn overnight. Different concentrations of gel can be used in different circumstances and the dentist will prescribe the concentration that they feel most appropriate. Typically the trays are worn over a 3-4 week period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it damage the teeth?
No not the teeth but care needs to be taken to protect the gums during the process to prevent burning.

How long does it last?
The results will normally last for between 4 to 6 months providing care is taken not to eat or drink strongly staining food stuffs.

Is the process painful?
No but the teeth can be sensitive to hot and cold for a few days. If necessary a special desensitising agent can be applied to reduce the sensitivity.