Teeth whitening; what our dentist thinks you need to know

As many as 1 in 4 dental patients wishes that their teeth were whiter. And they may have undertaken at-home options such as whitening toothpaste, gels and mouthwashes to attempt to lighten the shade of their enamel.

But if you have extensive staining on your teeth from things such as smoking, or even genetics, then you will need to undergo professional treatment with a trained team in order to get your teeth to be the shade of white that you want.

When you come to Cannon Street Dental Centre, our dentist in London will always be happy to discuss teeth whitening in London with you. Provided that you have good overall oral hygiene, there is unlikely to be any issue with you having your teeth whitened using one of our very successful and fast techniques.

In this short guide, you will be introduced to the concepts behind dental whitening and our dentist in London will introduce you to the different options that we will use based on the staining that you have, as well as how to maintain your brighter, whiter smile.

Dental whitening; what is it?

Dental whitening is simply the process of creating a whiter shade of enamel, and our dentist in London is aware of how having a brighter, whiter smile can impact everything from how you feel when you smile to having success in relationships or even the workplace. However, there are different types of staining that can cause your teeth to look yellow and based on this there are different types of dental whitening which can successfully remove these different types of

stains.

Bleach based whitening

The most commonly used form of dental whitening is bleach-based whitening, and this involves our team applying a gel to the surface of your enamel and then using a UV light to oxidate the gel, removing the surface staining. This is ideal if you have staining caused by a high-sugar diet, smoking or other lifestyle choices. Typically, this will involve two separate treatments at our clinic, spaced two weeks apart and will require you to wear a dental tray to bed at night during this period, wearing a weaker version of the gel that we use in our surgery.

Abrasion-based whitening

If you have teeth that are discoloured due to genetic factors, illness or medication, our team will opt for abrasion-based whitening, which is exactly what it sounds like. We will use a drill piece in our dental kit to remove the surface of the stained areas of the enamel.

Lifestyle

Once you have had your teeth whitened with either of these methods, you will likely want to ensure that the whitening process is maintained. To do this successfully, you may need to eliminate some things from your lifestyle. You will need to limit the number of cigarettes or cigars that you smoke and should also aim to reduce your intake of tannin-heavy products, such as red wine or coffee.

Longevity

Provided you clean your teeth every day and avoid staining products, your dental whitening should last up to two years. Please be aware that we can only use bleach-based whitening twice a year, as more frequent usage can lead to dental sensitivity.