Tooth Whitening

A highly effective way of lightening the natural colour of your teeth without causing any damage can be carried out
using tooth whitening.

There are a number of reasons why you might wish get your teeth whitened. Everyone is different, and just as our
hair and skin colour vary, so do our teeth, and our teeth can also become more discoloured as we get older. Your
teeth will also become discoloured through food and drinks such as tea, coffee, red wine and blackcurrant. And
smoking can also cause staining.

The removal of surface staining on teeth is possible with an air polishing procedure offered by our hygienists. This is
very often a quick and effective way to brighten your teeth.

For deeper tooth whitening you will need one of our tray-based home whitening systems. You can choose from
either a one-hour daily wear, or overnight wear. We also offer the advanced Enlighten® whitening system. For most
cases it will require you to carry out the whitening for a two-week period, though sometimes we have seen fantastic
results within a few days, but in some cases it may take much longer.

Tooth whitening (see before and after) can only be safely carried out on healthy teeth. Contact us to arrange a full examination with one of our dentists, and discuss your whitening options in more detail.

The ‘active ingredient’ in our whitening systems is hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Customised trays are
made to precisely fit your teeth into which the tooth whitening gel is placed. The active ingredient then releases
oxygen into the tooth structure and which breaks down the internal stains and discolouration in the teeth to make
them lighter and brighter.

Tooth whitening will only lighten natural tooth substance. It will not work on any existing fillings, dentures, or
porcelain materials like crowns and veneers. If your dentures are stained or discoloured, visit your dentist and we
can arrange for them to be cleaned. Veneers, crowns, fillings, bridges or dentures may need replacing after carrying
out whitening if they no longer match. This will be assessed and explained during your consultation.

After any tooth whitening procedure you will need ‘top-ups’ in the future, as the colour change is not permanent.
You can help to keep your teeth white by cutting down on the amount of food or drink you have that can stain teeth.
Don’t forget, stopping smoking can also help prevent staining.

Many kits sold over the counter, or on the internet, in the UK do not contain enough of the active whitening product
to be effective. Some kits may even contain mild acids, or abrasives, which will cause irreparable damage to the
teeth and gum tissues and are not recommended. Tooth whitening is legally regarded as a dental procedure that
may only be carried out by trained professionals registered with The General Dental Council.

What to do next

Tooth whitening can only be safely carried out on healthy teeth. If you are interested in tooth whitening then
contact a member of our reception team to arrange a full examination with one of our dentists, and discuss your
whitening options in more detail.