Do you want brighter, whiter teeth?

Tooth whitening is a process for lightening the colour of your teeth. Dental supervised tooth whitening systems offer a safe and effective method of restoring natural teeth to a lighter colour. Natural tooth substance is not removed or altered in any way.

Tooth whitening has been shown to be effective approximately 95% of the time for removing some or all discolouration and stains occurring in your teeth.

The whitening process occurs via oxidation. Free oxygen radicals attach to the stains in your teeth (oxidation). This causes the stain to disappear.

Over the counter systems or non-supervised products differ from the dental systems. The most significant variation is the type of chemical used for whitening. Some of the over the counter products utilise a mild acid. 

The advertising often suggests that there is little difference. This is not correct. To achieve the best, long term, predictable results we would recommend that dentist supervised systems be used.

Dental supervised systems offer a full examination prior to treatment. This will determine:

• Nature and extent of discolouration and the appropriate regime
• Any damaged or leaky restorations
• Any filled and teeth with crowns, that will not be affected
• Custom manufactured trays that will fit properly and not cause damage
• Whitening agent only contacts teeth necessary
• Whitening gel is Class 2 Medical device approved 
• Supervised by a professional
• Advice on other cosmetic options given

The technique of bleaching teeth is not for everybody. In accordance with the law and the General Dental Council’s position on teeth whitening, products containing or releasing between 0.1% and 6% hydrogen peroxide cannot be used on any person under 18 years of age except where such use is intended wholly for the purpose of treating or preventing disease. There are some situations where bleaching teeth is contraindicated such as where the front teeth are already crowned or where there are very large fillings on the front teeth or where the teeth are already excessively worn and there is tooth surface loss. The most ideal situation is where there is not much wrong with the teeth except for the colour which has become more yellow with age.

Safety studies have shown that bleaching teeth using the dentist prescribed home bleaching technique is perfectly safe on the teeth, cheeks, gum and tissue of the mouth.

Bleaching the teeth with the dentist prescribed kits is equivalent to drinking one fizzy drink. The bleaching material used, is neither acidic nor caustic.  It is neutral. There are problems with the bleaching kits that are purchased over the counter. Although they are inexpensive, they normally contain an acid rinse, which can damage the teeth or thin down the enamel of the teeth. This acid rinse can be extremely harmful to the teeth. 

This depends on the amount of lightening that you desire and the original shade of the teeth.  If your teeth are quite dark or very yellow/ grey It will take longer to bleach the teeth. If you are not experiencing any sensitivity you may wear the trays for at least one to two hours and even sleep with the trays in your mouth. It is very important to remove all the excess material around the gums or the palate prior to sleeping with the trays.

The darker your teeth, the longer your teeth will take to get lighter. Tetracycline stained teeth can take 6 months or up to one year to bleach the teeth. Some teeth can whiten after one month.

If you cannot wear the trays for a few days because of your hectic schedule, it does not matter. Bleach your teeth according to your own schedule. Some people put the trays in after dinner and wear them for the first hour while watching TV or doing the dishes. Then if everything is fine they replenish the trays and sleep with them in the mouth.

Sensitivity of teeth is the most common side effect of home bleaching. In fact many patients suffer from sensitive teeth anyway. This occurs usually around the necks of the teeth where the gums have receded. If you are experiencing any sensitivity you should stop bleaching your teeth for a few days. You can resume after about 3-4 days. If the teeth become ultra sensitive you can place an anti-sensitivity product as advised by your dentist into the bleaching trays for an hour a day. That will usually stop the sensitivity. Alternatively you can rub the desensitising toothpaste into the gum margins with your finger, 5 times per day, for a few days.

If you are at all concerned, please call us.

If the teeth have white spots on them before bleaching, these spots will appear whiter during the first few days, however the contrast between the spots and the rest of the tooth will be less and eventually they will not be noticeable. Sometimes the dentist can do a special procedure called "Microabrasion" for you where the white spots can be more permanently removed. Ask your dentist about the procedure if you are concerned about this.

You may notice new white spots occurring on the teeth while you are undertaking the bleaching treatment; these white spots were already present on the teeth before bleaching. As the teeth become lighter they become more visible. Do not worry. As the whole tooth itself becomes lighter these spots will fade. You may notice these white spots immediately after a bleaching session or in the morning if you have been wearing the trays for the whole night. Some teeth may appear banded with lighter/ whiter areas. Again these banding are originally present on the tooth. As the tooth is dark these bandings are not obvious. As the tooth becomes lighter, the lighter parts of the tooth will lighten first followed by the darker banded area. After a week or so these will not be noticeable any more.

Normally the teeth feel very clean after the bleaching procedure. The bleaching materials also have an indirect effect on the gums. The peroxide based agent can help improve the health of the gums. Incidentally, this is how the technique was invented. It was first used to heal gum irritation during orthodontic treatment.

Your smile will appear brighter.

Crowns and white fillings do not change colour with tooth whitening. The whitening material does not harm or alter any existing restorations and can be used for all cases.

If you have white fillings in the front teeth that match the existing shade of your teeth before you bleach your teeth, they may not match the teeth afterwards. This is because while teeth can lighten, the fillings do not . When the desired colour has been achieved, the dentist can replace these fillings with a lighter shade of filling material to match the new shade of your teeth. Normally the dentist will wait a week before changing the fillings. We have had many cases where we did not have to change the fillings afterwards. 

It is always best to consult with the dentist, who will be able to guide you.

Normally the new white colour of your teeth keeps quite well. The effect is dependent on what has caused the teeth to discolour in the first place. If you drink lots of coffee, red wine, cola drinks the effect may darken slightly. Some patients do a top up treatment after 6 months to one year. Some patients do not need to.