The Truth About Tooth Whitening

With a headline like this you might think we were going to tell you that tooth whitening isn’t safe or could damage your teeth? Well, no, we want to tell you that tooth whitening carried out with your dental professionals with licensed quality gels and custom fitted trays is a super treatment that can transform your teeth and ultimately your smile!

Safe, reliable, predictable results.

As we get older our teeth tend to darken, if we eat and drink a lot of dark foods/drink then we will also darken teeth and tooth whitening is a really effective way to improve the colour of your teeth.

Hydrogen peroxide is the only product that will whiten teeth safely and we use Philips Zoom whitening gel that releases hydrogen peroxide as it’s active ingredient.

This product is safe to use, it doesn’t strip the surface of the tooth or dry it out which unlicensed gels can do causing permanent damage to your teeth.

We also know that this product gives reliable and predictable results so we know how long it will take to whiten your teeth.

In surgery whitening or take home?

At Barrington Dental Care we have chosen to provide the Philips Zoom take home whitening system because we know this is probably more effective that the in surgery ”laser” style whitening. Some patients prefer the convenience of sitting in the dental chair for one hour and having the in surgery whitening but we found that patients still had to have a course of home treatment to get the results they were looking for so we have chosen to provide the home system.

What happens once I’ve decided to have whitening?

First of all you will need to have a dental check to ensure you are healthy with no leaking fillings or gum problems. Then your dental professional will take impressions of your teeth to construct some custom made trays for your teeth. These look a little like a thin sportsguard.

Next we will instruct you as to how to place the gel in the tray, where to place it and how much to put in and then we’ll discuss how long you wear these trays for.

Some people are happy to sleep in their trays and others prefer to wear in the evening for several hours. The choice is yours and together with your dentist you will decide which system suits you.

I’ve heard whitening can be a bit sensitive?

Some patients can experience sensitivity following whitening and we will explain to you how to deal with this. It is transient and will pass but it can be a good idea to apply some sensitive type toothpaste in the guards after an initial treatment for a short period of time. Again, your dentist will discuss this with you but we find most of our patients have no problems at all.

How long will my treatment take?

You will generally see a change after the first application of gel but we usually recommend treatment times between 10 and 14 days and after that time we will check on your progress and if further treatment is still required. Most people will have achieved the result they are looking for in that time. It can take longer for older people but it still works well for older patients.

Will I need to repeat whitening after the initial course of treatment?

Yes we recommend regular top ups every few months for perhaps one of two evenings to maintain the whiteness. Your trays, with the right care, can last for a while and can be reused and you are able to purchase more tubes of gel from us as you need them.

Tooth Whitening has become increasingly popular over the past few years and is often paired with a tooth straightening treatment or perhaps some slight recontouring or addition of composite ( Minimal Intervention Dentistry).

Why not call Barrington Dental Care on 0161 928 0014 to discuss how we can improve your smile?

Looking forward to meeting you soon

Monder