Teeth Whitening

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 teeth whitening – a safe, chemical process that eliminates discolouration.

Teeth 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.

External Whitening

Home whitening

• 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.

Internal Whitening

This involves placing a whitening agent inside a discoloured tooth that has had root canal therapy, which means the inner part of the tooth (the ‘pulp’) has been removed and replaced with a rubber filling.

• The lightening product is inserted into a drilled hole which is then sealed with a temporary filling.
• About a week later, the filling and the bleach are removed and, if necessary, the process is repeated. When the ideal shade is achieved, the hole is permanently sealed with a tooth coloured filling.

Aftercare

You can help maintain the whiteness of your teeth by avoiding food and drink that may cause staining, and brushing your teeth at least twice a day.

Teeth whitening does not provide permanent results but home whitening trays can be reused if a top-up is necessary.