Tooth whitening is a successful and simple method of improving the colour of teeth. Teeth can become stained by certain foods, drinks or smoking and some people’s teeth are naturally darker in colour compared to others.
Home Whitening
At Anchor Road Dental Practice in Aldridge, Walsall we provide home whitening kits that fit your mouth perfectly so that you can whiten your teeth in the comfort of your own home until you are completely satisfied with the result. The kits include trays which fit around your teeth and bleaching formulas which are inserted into them before inserting into the mouth.
At the first appointment impressions are taken to construct whitening trays. A second appointment is made to fit the trays and provide full instructions. The trays are generally worn overnight or for short periods during the day.
The home whitening kits usually require one to two weeks but is dependant on how white you require your teeth and the beginning shade. Also as this is done at home, it depends on how frequently you keep up with the applications.
The whitening usually lasts around three years depending on the individual. If a patient smokes or has lots of food and drink products that stain it may not last quite as long but can be topped up if required.
There are sometimes a couple of side effects. For example, some people suffer from sensitivity to cold on their teeth. Using a sensitive toothpaste usually helps this. Other patients occasionally suffer from discomfort in their throat or gums. All of these symptoms are usually temporary and will heal themselves within a few days. If the problems persist, visit Anchor Road Dental Surgery and your dentist will help.
With regards to aftercare of your whitened smile we recommend a visit to your dentist every six months for an examination and a scale and polish to remove any staining. Also cutting down on any foods and drinks known to stain teeth or smoking may be a great asset to keeping the teeth white.
Internal Tooth Whitening
If you have a root filled tooth, it can become discoloured over time. This may require the whitening gel to be inserted inside the tooth by the dentist to help lighten it individually.
Laser Whitening
A frequently advertised procedure also known as Power Whitening that involves the shining of a blue light on teeth in surgery. Although this is called ‘laser whitening’, it is not a laser that is used but simply a blue light. Pola whitening does not require this light to work. As such we view this as a marketing gimmick to impress patients and donot offer this at our practice.
Advantages of Home Whitening vs Chairside Whitening
Chairside whitening involves use of higher strength gel to reduce the time taken for the procedure. Unfortunately this can increase sensitivity whilst not allowing adequate time for the gel to penetrate into the deeper layers of the teeth. As only superficial layers are whitened the result may only last a few months thus requiring frequent retreatment. Results can be be variable and control over the level of whitening is not possible.
Costs for Chairside whitening are invariably higher than home whitening.
Home whitening is gentle and allows the gel to penetrate into deeper layers providing a lasting result for up to 3 years.
Home whitening allows you to control the whitening process. Whitening can be continued in the comfort of your home until the desired results are achieved.
The added advantage of home whitening is that the trays can be reused for retreatment, and further supplies of the gel can be bought at a fraction of the cost at our practice.
Illegal Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening is a practice of dentistry. It has to be carried out by dentists or by dental professionals under the prescription of a dentist. Any whitening treatment by cosmetic clinics such as beauty parlours without the supervision of a dentist is illegal.
