What is teeth whitening?

Teeth whitening can help patients looking to brighten their smile, without removing or damaging any of the tooth’s surfaces. Despite the name, the aim is usually to brighten your smile to a lighter shade, rather than to ‘pure white’, to ensure a natural and beautiful result.

There’s countless reasons to decide on whitening your teeth. Just as we all differ in our hair colours and skin tones, our teeth are just as different. The “ideal” of a brilliant white smile (sometimes referred to as ‘refidgerator white’!) isn’t something seen in natural smiles. As we get older, our teeth get darker due to a range of factors. One heavy influence is our diet, with strongly coloured foods affecting the shade of our smile. Other influences include smoking, oral hygiene and even the use of certain antibiotics.

How long does home whitening take?

Treatment timelines can vary depending on the starting shade and the desired end result. The majority of whitening cases can be finished within two to four weeks. This can include up to four visits to the dentist.

How long will my teeth stay whiter?

Teeth which have undergone a whitening treatment can last at that shade for up to three years. However, this can vary from person to person, with outside forces affecting this – including smoking, diet and other factors. If you want to know more, you can speak to your dentist when commencing for a better idea, tailored to your situation.

What are the side effects?

Infrequently, some patients do experience sensitivity to cold as a result of undergoing whitening treatment. It is also possible to experience some gum discomfort or a sore throat. However, these symptoms are usually very temporary, and should disappear within a few days. If, however, you find a persisting side effect, you should speak to your dentist for specific advice.

Follow On Care

Following a whitening treatment, you may find that your teeth feel cleaner than before. You can help continue this, and keep your teeth white, by cutting back on strongly coloured foods and drink. If you do smoke, stopping this can also help prevent discolouration and staining.

The following tips are recommended to help keep your teeth whiter for longer:

• Brush your teeth for two minutes, twice daily using a fluoride toothpaste.
• Cut down on your sugary foods and drinks.
• Visit your dentist every 6 months.

How much does teeth whitening cost?

For information on pricing, ask your dentist about our Teeth Whitening Treatments or speak to our team by calling us on 01935 840784.