Teeth Whitening
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Are you unhappy with how your teeth look? Are they discoloured and making you feel self-conscious? Diet, smoking and aging enamel are the most common causes of tooth discolouration and even if oral hygiene practices are applied, teeth can still be affected. Unfortunately, no toothpaste by itself can guarantee a whiter smile as they only remove external stains. Professional whitening by a dentist under a controlled environment is a safe way to transform dull and stained teeth into brighter more youthful-looking smile that looks brand new.
It is important to have an examination and clean before any bleaching to ensure that there are no holes in teeth, remove any plaque, tartar or extrinsic stains and determine if whitening is appropriate for you.
The whitening gel is proven to be a safe and effective treatment. It does not damage or weaken the enamel of teeth.
The most common side effect of whitening is a temporary increase in teeth sensitivity. In most cases, the use of sensitive kinds of toothpaste and/or specialised tooth crèmes (Tooth Mousse) can resolve the sensitivity. During whitening, it is also possible to pause the whitening process for 1 -2 days to give the teeth a rest from transient sensitivity symptoms, before continuing the process.
Gum irritation may also occur. A common cause of this is applying too much gel or not removing excess gel on the seating of whitening trays. The presence of gingivitis and bleeding gums can also increase the risk of gingival irritation and sensitivity, making it even more important to have your teeth professionally check and cleaned before any whitening.
Whitening will change the colour of your teeth, but will not change the colour of fillings or in cases of severe developmental staining of teeth. For this reason, after your teeth have been satisfactorily whitened it may be necessary to replace some old fillings to better match the colour of your teeth.
If you have yellow or stained teeth caused by foods or smoking and wish to restore the colour of your teeth to their original white radiant colour, talk to us today and make an appointment for an assessment and restoration using our safe and effective teeth whitening.
Impressions are taken of your upper and lower teeth, which are used to make custom whitening trays to specially fit your mouth.
Immediately before whitening, it is recommended that the teeth are brushed without toothpaste. This ensures that the surfaces of the teeth are free of plaque and food to allow more effective contact of the bleach to the tooth surfaces.
The whitening gel is applied into the trays and then seated onto your teeth ensuring any excess gel is wiped away.
These trays are left in place for a period of 30 minutes.
After removal of the trays and bleach, teeth need to be thoroughly cleaned with toothpaste (sensitive toothpaste is preferable)
This process should be repeated once a day for 1-2 weeks to whiten the teeth slowly.
Whitening results usually last a long time, but will gradually fade, therefore we usually recommend a 6 or 12-monthly “touch-up” treatment of 1 – 2 days duration. Refill bleaching gel is available from reception, and can be used together with your custom whitening trays. Don’t forget to routinely have your teeth checked to ensure that there are no new holes and that the teeth are still safe to whiten.
In-chair whitening is a highly controlled procedure performed by the dentist to ensure rapid and safe whitening of the teeth. Before any bleach is applied to the teeth, a special resin barrier is applied to the gums to protect them from the effects of the bleach and ensure the bleach and laser light are applied only to the teeth.
For best long-term results we recommend following up with an at-home “touch-up” routine.
If you’re looking for a qualified dentist, look no further than the experienced dentists at our local dental practice – Reservoir Smiles. We offer a wide range of services to help keep your smile healthy and looking its best. To book an appointment, call us or book online. We’ll be happy to answer any questions and help you schedule a convenient time for your visit.