General Information

Teeth whitening is a procedure used to whiten your teeth by use of a peroxide gel. Depending on the amount of whitening required, you may need in surgery tooth whitening, home whitening with trays or a combination treatment. The dentist will check that you are a suitable candidate for whitening and outline the recommended procedure to you. The safety of teeth whitening is very high, but, as with any medical or dental procedures there are some risks and limitations you should be aware off.

Candidates for professional teeth whitening:

Any person can have their teeth whitened, but in general we do not use the procedure on children under 16, or on pregnant or nursing mothers. Any patient with gum disease should have this treated first and if you have cavities in your teeth these should be restored before whitening treatment. Any superficial staining and tartar will need to be removed by the hygienist prior to your whitening treatment.
Expectations on completion of whitening:

Significant whitening can be achieved in many cases, but there is no way to predict what colour your teeth will be at the finish. Yellow or brown teeth generally whiten more easily than teeth with a bluish colour. Teeth which have been root filled or discoloured by antibiotics will not respond predictably, and may require alternative treatment. If your teeth are already a light shade the effects of whitening could be minimal. If you have white spots on your teeth this may look better or worse after whitening. Your dentist will advise you.

Risks:

All forms of health treatment have some risks. Please make sure you understand these risks before your treatment commences.

1. Tooth Sensitivity. Some patients experience significant tooth sensitivity during the treatment and for up to 24 hours afterwards. We recommend taking ibuprofen or paracetamol prior to your  whitening treatment, and only using the whitening trays for 4 hours at a time if you are affected.
2. Gum and soft tissue irritation can occur if too much whitening gel gets into contact with the gum or lips. This can last for a few hours but will get better.
3. Dental restorations will not change shade. Any fillings or crowns, which show, may need to be replaced after the whitening procedure at your expense. Please make sure you discuss this with the dentist prior to your whitening procedure.

Home whitening with trays

How to use

The trays or retainers will have been checked to make sure that they fit. You will be provided with a pack of 2 tubes of whitening gel. Prior to use, clean your teeth and rinse. Place a small amount of gel in the trays/retainers and place over the teeth. Remove the excess gel with a soft brush or your finger, and rinse once with water. Leave the trays/retainers in for at least 4 hours or overnight. When you remove them, clean your teeth and rinse the trays/retainers. If your retainers need to be worn, put them back over your teeth. If they do not need to be worn, put them in the box for safe keeping.

Use the gel for 4-8 nights initially. Top up as required by using the gel for 2 nights periodically. We can prescribe more gel for you if you need it.

Your initial prescription is valid for 3 months to allow you to purchase more gel if you require it. After this you would need to see the dentist for a new prescription and a charge will be made for that visit.

Guarantees:

There are no guarantees as to the degree of whitening that will be achieved. The amount of whitening varies between individuals. Additional whitening sessions and the use of ancillary whitening systems may be required to obtain the desired results.

Alternative treatment options:
Alternatives to whitening would be veneers or crowns. We can achieve a very white result with these but they are heavily invasive and require the destruction of sound tooth tissue.