With most diets and modern lifestyles teeth will gradually darken as time goes by. In some cases accelerated wear of the enamel from acidic foods and drinks will worsen the process. Tooth whitening is a safe and effective way of reversing the effects and restoring a beautiful youthful appearance to the smile. It is essential this is done by fully trained dental health professionals who are the only people legally allowed to provide the service in the UK.
Whitening agents work by releasing oxygen.
Types of whitening
This method involves applying a whitening agent to the outer surface of the tooth in the following ways:
Home Whitening
- Impressions are taken of your teeth so customised whitening trays can be produced to fit comfortably and securely. This is essential for safe and effective whitening.
- When ready, you will wear these at home with a whitening gel for a specified period, usually 14 days. This can be an overnight or daytime routine. You must have the correct Day or Night gel for your selected routine.
- After completing the treatment a regular top-up application is done to maintain the effect. This is normally a single application once every two months.
- Be wary of buying whitening kits from unregulated sources. These could be harmful and will not work without properly constructed custom trays. Legally available kits from shops or the internet will have very low strength and so will not be effective
Please click here to download our home whitening consent form.
In-surgery whitening
This is also sometimes referred to as ‘laser’ or ‘power’ whitening and involves applying a whitening gel to your teeth and using a bright light to speed up the process. It is a much quicker procedure, taking under two hours, and ideal for those who are looking for fast results. At HDS, we use a powerful Plasma-light system (Zoom). It is always best to have home trays as well for the maintenance protocols. Without maintenance the effects will relapse over time.
Please click here to download our in-surgery whitening consent form.
Internal whitening
This is a technique usually used for individual teeth that are badly discoloured. It’s normally for teeth that have had root-canal treatment. It involves placement of the whitening agent in a carefully prepared cavity within the tooth and is normally done over 2 or 3 visits. No tooth-structure is removed as the access is via the root-filling plug. The results do sometimes relapse requiring a later repeat treatment. Sometimes it is done in conjunction with a veneering technique. This is very individual treatment and the dentist’s plan will be very dependent on the presentation and history.
Aftercare
Diet and lifestyle will affect the longevity of the whitening results. It is essential to maintain excellent oral hygiene and maybe modify habits of diet and, of course smoking. You should have well-adapted whitening trays and follow the top-up regime advised by the dentist. This will normally be a single home application every two months as a minimum. You can top-up more frequently as you wish but always ensure you have the correct gels for your routines and specific situation.
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