Tooth Whitening
Duration 10min
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Anaesthetic No
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Treatments 1
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Tooth whitening is a treatment option to brighten teeth, It is not suitable for everyone. Your dentist is best placed to advise whether the treatment is right for you and the results you can expect. There are two procedures available to whiten or lighten your teeth.
Home Whitening
This simple home procedure uses hydrogen peroxide to bleach or whiten the teeth. Your dentist or hygienist takes a mould of your teeth so a technician can prepare a gum shield or tray of exactly the right size and fit. Once the tray is ready, your dentist will provide you with the whitening gel and important advice on how to use it. Your teeth may achieve the desired colour within a couple of days, but it may take up to three weeks.
Off-the-shelf home whitening kits are not advisable as the trays are not custom made to exactly fit. This can allow the bleaching gel to come into contact with your gums and may cause irritation. There have also been reports that the bleaching gels in such kits may not achieve the desired results.
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Cost: from £350
Whitening in the Surgery
This option provides a more immediate result and is delivered in surgery under the care and supervision of your dentist or hygienist.
Treatment takes around an hour and requires the use of a laser light technique along with a whitening gel.
Both teeth whitening treatments are only suitable for healthy teeth and gums, so your dentist or hygienist will thoroughly examine your mouth before treatment begins. You need to be aware that the gel does not whiten crowns, fillings and veneers.
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Cost: £800 (includes free whitening trays + gel)
How does it work?
The active ingredient breaks down staining by chemical oxidation, the process can take some time, therefore it is important to finish your treatment as specified by your dentist.
In addition, the whitening effect is not usually permanent and overtime your teeth will gradually fade back to their original shade. However, the use of a top up treatment will usually whiten them up again.
