TOOTH WHITENING

A before and after picture of a woman 's whitened teeth.

Tooth whitening is a great way to quickly improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile. It is easy and safe. Most importantly it is conservative and doesn’t involve any tooth reduction or addition. Whiter teeth can give you more confidence and make you feel great!

Types of Tooth Whitening

1. At Home Whitening

Impressions are taken and close fitting custom trays are made to fit a model of your teeth. The trays are worn at home and hold the whitening gel in place. There are 2 different strengths of gel. The higher concentration gel is worn for 30-60 minutes each day for 10-14 days. The lower concentration gel is worn overnight for 4-6 weeks or longer if needed. The choice of gel depends on the cause and type of discolouration in your teeth. We will advise you which is best for you type of discolouration.

To get the most effective whitening, to prevent wasting the gel and to avoid damage to the surrounding gums it is very important to use the custom made trays. They hold the gel in exactly the right place. Over the counter whitening systems are available but in our experience are of limited success. They are either not strong enough or not held on the tooth for long enough.

A person is holding a clear brace in their hand.

2. In Chair Surgery Whitening

The Novon system offers the option of one stop whitening in the dental surgery. It is very suitable for busy people who don’t want the bother of following the home whitening procedure.

3. Non-Vital Whitening

This is used for single root filled teeth that have become discoloured. The top of the root filling is removed and a whitening solution sealed into the tooth for 10 days. It will usually require 1-3 treatments and will gradually bleach the tooth from the inside out. We can advise you if your tooth will lend itself to this technique.

What is the whitening material and how does it work?

The whitening gel is carbamide peroxide which breaks down to form hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide has long been known to whiten teeth. It has been successfully used since the 1980’s. The key is its low molecular density, which allows it to permeate the tooth enamel. On contact with the tooth, hydrogen peroxide degrades releasing free radicals and oxygen. These free radicals attach themselves to the long-chain, macromolecular stains, breaking them down. These smaller molecules are more reflective, making the teeth appear brighter. Some of the stains will also diffuse out to the tooth surface, without damaging the tooth structure.

Are all teeth suitable for teeth whitening?

Tooth whitening will very effectively remove internal tooth stains. These include internal stains resulting from smoking, tea, coffee, certain food and beverages and also many developmental causes of discolouration including tetracycline stains and fluorosis. Tooth whitening works particularly well on reversing the yellowing effect of aging.To achieve the best whitening result we recommend you visit our hygienist before treatment to have your teeth thoroughly cleaned. It will not bleach external stains, which can be removed by scaling or polishing. Nor will it change the colour of white (composite) fillings, porcelain veneers or crowns. Results may also be reduced in patients who have already had tooth whitening treatment. There is a natural limit to how white teeth can go.Whitening should be avoided in cracked or highly sensitive teeth, teeth with defective fillings or decay, during pregnancy, breastfeeding and if the patient has a known allergy to peroxide.

Is the whitening process safe?

The by-products of whitening are oxygen, urea and water which are all metabolised and excreted by the body. It has been suggested that the effects of bleaching are no worse than drinking carbonated drinks.

Are there any side effects or potential problems?

Some people may experience tooth sensitivity following whitening. If we are concerned this may be an issue for you, we will provide you with ‘Tooth Mousse’ gel to use as a desensitiser. With home whitening it may be necessary to decrease the time you are wearing the trays or only whiten on every second or third day. The tooth mousse can be worn in the trays for 30 minutes on the days in between. Delaying the speed of the process will not affect the end result. The whitening process is cumulative and you will reach the same end point if you bleach every day for 1 week or every 3 days for 3 weeks.

A box of gc tooth mousse on a blue surface

If the stronger home whitening gel is allowed to contact the gum for more than a few minutes, you may experience a burning sensation. This temporary inflammation of the gum often appears as a white spot. The problem can be reversed by wiping the gel away and applying a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water mix to the area to neutralise it.

In rare cases it may be necessary to take anti-inflammatory or pain relieving medications. We can prescribe these for you.

How long will it last?

Generally the teeth will never return to their original shade. Results will vary between individuals depending on the shade, depth and age of the staining. However the whitening effect will usually start to diminish after 2-3 years. Tooth shade is affected by lifestyle factors such as smoking, consumption of coffee, red wine and any heavily coloured foods. A person’s perception of what is ‘white’ may also change after treatment. Most people will re-whiten at home about once a year or before special occasions, such as weddings, where they want to look their best. We do not recommend whitening more frequently than every 3 months. Refill tubes for home whitening can be purchased over the counter from the practice.

All our staff have personally used tooth whitening and will be more than happy to discuss the procedure further. Please don’t hesitate to ask.