Teeth can lose their natural whiteness for a number of reasons including diet, ageing, certain medications, smoking and trauma, but a noticeably brighter smile can be achieved with tooth whitening – a safe process that uses a peroxide-based gel to eliminate discolouration.
Tooth whitening will only work on natural teeth and will not be effective on restorations such as crowns, veneers or dentures. However, these can be replaced to match newly whitened teeth if desired.
Treatment steps
- Impressions are taken of your teeth so customised whitening trays can be produced to fit comfortably and securely.
- The trays are worn daily with a bleaching gel for a specified length of time.
- After completing the course of treatment (normally after a couple of weeks), you will attend a follow-up appointment to check your teeth have been successfully lightened.
We recommend you use our home whitening kits as they are more effective and also allow us to keep a close eye on your teeth, which can help avoid side effects such as gum irritation and tooth sensitivity.
Aftercare
You can help maintain the whiteness of your teeth by reducing food and drinks that may cause staining and brushing your teeth twice a day.
With time, it is likely that you may need to top up your whitening and your existing trays can be used for this purpose in the future.
