Around 50% of the British public are unhappy with the appearance of their teeth – a large proportion citing discolouration as the main reason for their discontent. So, it’s not surprising that thousands flock to get their teeth whitened every year.
The Only Teeth Whitening Guide You’ll Ever Need
In this guide we will give you the tools and knowledge to head out into the world of teeth whitening with the confidence that you have all avenues covered, from making sure that the treatment is right for you to figuring out the best way to get the most out of your treatment in the future.
1. How does teeth whitening work?
All teeth whitening treatments can vary slightly but work under the same mechanism.
The first step for any safe practitioner is to make sure that you’re dentally fit. This requires an examination to ensure there are no gaps in your teeth or cavities that the whitening ingredient could get into causing damage to your teeth.
If you are not given an assessment like this then you should be on guard as this could well put your health at risk.
Following this, a set of trays will be created for your teeth and you’ll, in some form, put an active whitening agent in contact with your teeth.
In most cases you’ll place the whitening ingredient (usually carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide) into your trays. You then wear these for multiple hours so that the whitening ingredient can penetrate your enamel to get to discoloured molecules. Oxygen molecules from the whitening agents react with the discoloured molecules in your teeth, breaking the bonds that hold them together. The result is a bright white smile for the patient
2. Who is suitable for teeth whitening?
Not everyone is an ideal candidate for teeth whitening and each case must be looked at independently but please see the descriptions below for a good and bad candidate for teeth whitening.
- Good candidate: Tooth whitening is ideal for patients who have healthy, unrestored teeth. Generally, you will see better results if you have no fillings. It is also representative of a good candidate if your gums are healthy. Those patients with yellow stains on their teeth respond most effectively to their teeth whitening treatment. If you would like to find out if you are a good candidate then please feel free contact Bamboo Dental in Cardiff.
- Bad Candidate: There are a few factors that make a potential patient not ideal for a tooth whitening treatment. Teeth whitening can only legally be offered to those over the age of 18. Pregnant women are not recommended to undertake the treatment. Those with gum disease, exposed roots, fillings and worn enamel may suffer from higher sensitivity to the treatment due to the fact that the teeth whitening solution will penetrate deep into the tooth.
Remember: Teeth whitening is suitable for most adults with good dental health.
3. What are the types of teeth whitening?
When delving into the subject of teeth whitening you’ll find several different options. We can split them up into two main categories. Professional teeth whitening and shop bought whitening options. There are several shop bought products such as whitening strips and whitening tooth pastes. These generally will yield poor results as the whitening agent is very weak and certainly not strong enough to dispose of anything other than surface stains.
If you want to see noticeable results then your best option is to visit a cosmetic dentist near you and get a proper treatment. This is more expensive than shop bought whitening strips or toothpastes but the results are simply incomparable.
When in the dental clinic you’ll come across two options. In chair laser whitening and take-home whitening kits. Both work very effectively and we’ll discuss the differences in the next section.
4. Take-home versus in-chair laser whitening?
So, you’ve had a look at a recommended cosmetic dentist near you and have noticed the two key offerings of whitening treatments – take home whitening kits and in-chair laser whitening. But which is best?
Take-home Whitening Kits:
- Take-home whitening options can often be cheaper and much more accessible. They can also be extremely convenient for those looking to maintain their white smile on the go.The convenience of a take-home kit means that you simply visit the dental clinic for your trays to be made and then the rest is all done at home. No long appointments, no hassle.
- Take-home treatment is usually cheaper than it’s laser alternative. This is largely due to the fact you need to spend less time in the dental chair in comparison.
In-chair laser Whitening:
- Your white teeth are in the hands of our professionally trained experts in 4 x 15 minute sessions in the dental chair.
- Following the time in the chair you’ll also be given a take-home kit to keep your smile looking fresh.
- It’s a little more expensive than the take-home kit but you’ll see results much quicker.
Incredible results can be obtained from both options and in some cases the take-home kit can make your teeth the whitest. Especially in the case of Enlighten, our premium kit offered at Bamboo…
5. What is Enlighten Teeth Whitening and is it the best?
Enlighten teeth whitening has become widely accepted as the most effective whitening system in the world. Particularly in the level of whiteness that it can make you teeth.
In fact, it’s the only system that guarantees a Vita shade B1 for every person. And it has 98% success rate. Now that’s a guarantee to show off!
Cool as ice:
There are some whitening gels that are at a neutral pH when they are fabricated, however at the time of use they are no longer neutral pH. That’s not the case with Enlighten – their gels are still neutral pH at use. This means that you get guaranteed long-lasting results. And it does all of this with very low sensitivity.
Enlighten gels are made in small batches and refrigerated continuously as well as being packed with ice during transition. This is the extra mile that puts Enlighten teeth whitening above all other systems.
Sensitive teeth? No matter.
If you are looking for long-lasting whitening with low sensitivity then you’ve found the right system. The issue with many teeth whitening products is that you need to wear the trays for longer to reach the saturation point of your teeth and the brightest shade of white that you are able to gain. However, the more you wear the trays the more and more sensitive your teeth will come.
With Enlighten you don’t have this issue. It is able to offer fantastic results with little sensitivity.
6. How does a teeth whitening kit work?
Once you’ve been deemed dentally fit for teeth whitening you’ll be ready for the initial stage of your treatment, the creation of your whitening trays. In order to do this you’ll have a short appointment with the dentist in which moulds are taken of your teeth. We use these moulds to create a plastic tray that is able to sit over your teeth comfortably.
You are then given several whitening gels to take home with you. When ready for your treatment you should brush and rinse out your teeth. Now get your trays and whitening gels. Push the whitening gel syringe and insert a small amount of the solution into each tooth area of the whitening trays.
Now, simply place the trays into your mouth and let the active agent work it’s magic for 1.5-2 hours. You’ll repeat this daily for up to 10 days until you reach a level of whiteness that you desire.
After a few months, depending on your diet you may decide to top up your whitening. To do that just pop in some new gel into your trays and you’re good to go.
7. How white can your teeth get with teeth whitening?
There is no single answer to this question. Everyone’s teeth are different and put simply, some are able to reach a brighter level of whiteness than others. That being said, our Enlighten Whitening does offer a guarantee that you’ll reach Vita Shade B1 or your saturation point.
Saturation point is the level in which your teeth can not get any whiter.
Whitening gels from a dental professional are safe and effective. Trusting another source to obtain whitening gels can lead to sever illness and irreversible dental issues.
8. How to make your teeth whitening last longer?
If you are making the choice to go ahead and get those bright white teeth then you’ll probably want to know how you can make the most of your treatment and to keep them looking white for as long as possible.
After receiving your teeth whitening treatment you will be advised on what you should and should not eat for the following 48 hours. This is to ensure maximum effectivity of the procedure. The general advice is for you to drink clear liquids only and to eat foods that are white in colour.
- Stop smoking: It is advised that you do not smoke for at least 48 hours after your teeth whitening treatment. The chemicals in the cigarettes can cause your teeth to discolour and the effects will be potentiated at the time where your teeth are still under the influence of the whitening solution.
- Avoid teeth staining food and drinks: It is suggested to avoid those drinks that can stain the teeth such as coffee, tea, wine etc. The same goes for foods such as curries.
- Look after your teeth: Make sure that you look after your teeth. You should follow the guidelines of brushing twice a day for three minutes. You should also make sure to floss each day. Flossing actually removes more food from your teeth than brushing does! For more health on oral hygiene please get in touch with our hygienist services.
9. How long will my teeth stay white for?
If you follow the advice given above then your teeth can stay white for at least 6 months at which point you may consider topping up your whitening for one or two sessions. If you have a poor diet, smoke or drink a lot of coffee then you are going to be more likely to lose your white smile faster. If this is the case then it just means you’ll need to top up your white smile more often. This doesn’t need to break the bank though, you can pick up extra whitening gels for just £10 at our surgery in Cardiff.
10. My teeth are sensitive, can I still get teeth whitening?
Highly sensitive teeth can make you more susceptible to feeling discomfort during your treatment. In cases where you have sensitive teeth it is advised to just note how they are feeling after each whitening session and go from there.
We also offer Enlighten Whitening which is specially designed to reduce sensitivity.
11. How do I go about booking in for a whitening treatment?
If you are interested in finding out more about teeth whitening or wanted to book in for a treatment at our surgery in Cardiff then please feel free to get in touch.
We are nine times award winning.
Winning best practice in Wales twice as well as best team and best patient care has been a reason for many teeth whitening patients choosing to go with us.
For Further Information
If you have any further questions regarding teeth whitening then the team at Bamboo Dental are always here to offer a help in hand. Our award winning team of dentists have extensive knowledge and are always willing to help answer any queries that you may have.
Visit us online
If you’d like to visit us online, you can check out our website.
Or our teeth whitening page.
Give us a call anytime
For a quick chat with our lovely team you can reach us at: 029 2056 9769
And we’re always available via email
Send us a message to smile@bamboodental.co.uk
