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Brighter lighter teeth are possible for everyone, and at tendental, we aim to provide safe, effective, proven treatment options for our patients to help achieve that more vibrant, confident, attractive smile. Tooth discolouration can occur for many reasons related to age, dietary habits, medication and of course smoking. However there are very few people who are not suitable for the simplest and very effective smile lift of all: Tooth Whitening.

What about whitening toothpastes?
Whitening tooth pastes will help remove superficial stains commonly caused by tea, coffee and smoking, but they cannot change the actual colour of your teeth. We recommend these products to help maintain and keep your teeth whiter after professional whitening.

Over the counter products
There are some products coming onto the market that may possibly enable slight changes in colour. These are usually in the form of strips or off the shelf trays that can be worn for short periods of time, by all means try these as they will make small changes, but if you really want to brighten your look then you are likely to need professional treatment and advice. Before buying any products over the counter or online we strongly recommend you consult a dentist as to the safety of that particular product.

Professionally Supervised Home Whitening
Home whitening kits are a proven and effective way of getting a brighter smile. The procedure involves fabricating custom made whitening trays by a dental technician. These trays once fitted and adjusted are a comfortable method of applying tooth whitening gel against the tooth surface and usually worn overnight. The treatment takes on average 3 to 4 weeks.

Power or In-office Whitening
There are several branded power whitening systems available and they all work to a greater or lesser extent. We at tendental of course want the very best results for our patients and therefore have chosen a system that we know from firsthand experience works very well and gets good results time and again. The technique will give brighter whiter teeth in one sitting of about an hour and a half with lasting results. A whitening gel is applied to the teeth in the dental chair under your dentist's supervision and a powerful light will be used to activate and help accelerate the effectiveness of the gel. The effects of power whitening may then be further enhanced by the use of the home trays for a short period of time.

Does it hurt?
Both home whitening and the power whitening may cause a small increase in sensitivity to hot and cold. This is temporary and settles down quickly once the treatment is stopped. Normal analgesics that you might take for a headache will treat this quite effectively.

How long does it last?
Normally the effects of tooth whitening keep very well, however effects of tooth whitening will vary from individual to individual, and are very dependant on lifestyle habits such as diet, smoking, tea, coffee and red wine consumption. We recommend that “top up” trays are used every two years for one or two nights, this along with good oral hygiene and regular visits to the hygienist will keep your teeth at the optimum shade.

Can anyone have whitening?
Before any whitening procedures are carried out, a thorough examination of your dentition will be carried out and specific advice can then be given as to expected results and suitability. There are very few cases where teeth cannot be whitened but if you have crowns (caps), veneers or other restorations in your teeth, these will not change in colour and the implications of this would be discussed with you prior to commencing treatment.

Are there any alternatives?
Alternatives to tooth whitening include porcelain veneers, composite veneers, crowns and composite bonding. These will be discussed at your consultation.

Further information
Sound unbiased advice and information on all aspects of cosmetic dentistry can be found on the websites of reputable organisations such as the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD.com) and American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD.com).

And remember: “Arguments out of a pretty mouth are unanswerable.”
Joseph Addison 1672 – 1719.