If you want to get your teeth whitened, your dentist is the best option—because he or she understands your teeth.
Teeth whitening is a very popular treatment at our clinic and many other dental practices—and we are aware that it is sometimes advertised in non-dental businesses as well. But if you are considering getting your teeth whitened, there are several really good reasons why you should visit a dentist to get it done.
The most important reason to visit a dental professional is if there are any problems or side effects, a non-professional won’t be able to prescribe painkillers or be able to effectively treat the problem. Someone who is not professionally trained won’t be able to dress your gums or know the best way to look after them, because they’re not professionally trained in the mouth.
Over many years your teeth absorb a lot of stain and colour, so they can become very dark. In some cases, that discolouring be difficult to unlock. The right treatment for you, however, can be dependent on a number of factors. One factor is age.
The first option that we have always achieved good results with younger people using a take-home daytime system, where we take moulds of your teeth and make special fitted mouth guards that fit over your teeth. Then we give you the gel to place in the moulds. The downside is in only half an hour a day it doesn’t get a lot of penetration, which can be a problem for older people. When the stain is much further in, you’re only cleaning up the outside and not getting into where the stains are because they’ve been there longer and they’re harder to dislodge.
The second option for whitening is the night-time take-home whitening kit. For older adults we use a slow-release gel for 14 nights. The results for this method are better for older people, but it does take time. If you want to get good and quicker results, you needs to do an in- chair session..
As a result, we also offer the Phillips ZOOM! in-chair whitening. This takes place in our practice in 1-2 hours and improves the colour of your teeth a lot in a short time. As it is powerful ad fast it does make most people's teeth temporarily more sensitive, but that usually goes back to normal within a relatively short time. We also give you a set of whitening trays and some take home gel to sue for just a few days to finish off the treatment.
The other method is the Colgate Optic White Light up. It is a take-home system which is milder and uses a paint and a light. It is a good choice for people with extremely sensitive teeth who find themselves unable to manage the other 2 systems. While it is less powerful than the other 2 options, it gives reasonably good results with minimal sensitivity.
To find out more about tooth whitening why not come in for a short consultation and we can see which whitening method suits you best?